Phoenix and Dragon: Through the World Gate
by FrequencyQueen
Summary: AU: Sometimes the evil is too great for just one Hero to defeat. Sometimes the Wheel of Life needs help to stay in balance. This time it falls on the shoulders of two children: one an elf, the other a wizard. Evil!Dumbledore, Elf!Harry, Elf!OC, Sly!Sirius
1. Dragon in Peril

**AN:** Sometimes the evil is too great for just one Hero. Sometimes the Wheel of Life needs more than one person to keep things balanced. This time, its on the shoulders of two children - one born of elven parents, the other of wizards blood. United, they have a chance to save both worlds...

In this chapter: _all text in italics_ _is the Elven language_.

* * *

**PHOENIX and DRAGON: Through the World Gate**

**Chapter One**

_"The Wheel has turned and Darkness returns._

_Look to the Phoenix and the Dragon,_

_Born to the Light under the Horned God's moon._

_Touching, though they touch not,_

_Together, they complete the circle._

_They must join the children of the Gryffon,_

_Ere the season turns on their year of passage,_

_And learn the wize ways, or Cymru will fall._

_The Wheel has turned and Darkness returns."_

"It's nice to get out once in awhile," a woman's soft voice drifted across the pub from a booth at the back wall, "but I'm worried about leaving Gavin at the Grove. He's still so little..." An old man sitting slumped over and half asleep in a nearby booth, sat up with a snort when he heard her lilting voice and he smiled at the slender woman with dark hair and delicately pointed ears, displaying large yellowed teeth much like those of the sheep he herded. He received a smile in return as Gwynnid recognized him and nodded a greeting. The other person in the back booth, a young man whose slightly more rounded ears showed a touch of human blood mixed with the elvish, leaned out to see who she was smiling at and waved a greeting as well before taking another swallow of his ale. "I just hope Gavin is behaving for Llygoden. He's teething and he's being awfully fussy."

"I'm sure he's fine, Gwynnid. Quit worrying! We're only here for an ale. He was asleep when we left and we'll be back before he even knows we were gone," Gleis murmured in return, reaching across the table to brush her long black hair gently back and stroke the line of blue runes on her cheek reassuringly. "Llygoden has taken care of children before, I'm sure he can manage for an hour or so. This is the first time we've been out of the Grove since Gavin was born, and I intend to enjoy myself!"

The door of the Grinning Cat pub slammed open as the evenings latest arrivals entered, bringing a blast of icy wind and rain with them. The strangers stood for a moment just inside the door, shaking rain off their robes as they looked around the small pub. The young man sitting in the back booth looked up, his eyes widening as he saw them. "Gwynnid, look at the two men who just came in." His companion turned her head slightly, just enough to see from where she sat sideways on the bench seat across from her companion, and tensed as she saw the odd pair.

"Those aren't local's, and they don't look like tourists, not in weather like this, and not with those robes." She turned to look at the pub keeper and caught his eye, then nodded slightly towards where the newcomers were now sitting and conversing quietly, heads bent together as they watched the other patrons warily. The man looked them over, then frowned and shook his head.

"This looks like trouble, Gleis. Old Pedran doesn't know them either, so they aren't any of the magic folk from Godric's Hollow." The tiny village of Cylgwyn was far off the beaten path and difficult to get to in the winter, and the only other people in the pub were the old man, who had gone back to sleep with his head on the table, and a pair of local farmers, warming their hands around mugs of hot toddy. "I didn't see lights from an auto, and they aren't wet enough to have walked far."

"_They have wands stuck in their pockets. They're wizarding folk, and not from around here either,_ _I think their accents are from the London area_," Gleis said quietly, changing to the elvish language, which sounded enough like the local Welsh dialect to pass unnoticed by non natives. He lifted his glass of ale and casually sipped at it. "_They must have apparated in,_" he commented still using elvish so the strangers would not understand, even if they heard them.

"_Not their territory, I wonder why they're here_," Gwynnid said quietly, as she watched the men out of the corner of her eye, keeping her head down to hide the runes on her face. She shivered suddenly as she lifted her glass to finish the last of her ale. "_I think we need to get out of here, I have a very bad feeling about this._" She was from a long line of elven seers, and had learned to trust her feelings, even when she wasn't having a true vision.

Gleis absently brushed his shaggy black hair back, then remembered he hadn't put a glamour on to hide his pointed ears or the line of blue runes tattooed on his cheek and pulled it forward once more, hoping the strangers hadn't noticed. The elves seldom bothered concealing their true appearances when they visited here in Cylgwyn, since all the regular's at the Cat knew them and had accepted their presence many generations before. They were more careful in the summer months when they needed to worry about the people with bicycles touring the countryside, but it was late on Halloween night, and a howling gale had blown in off the Irish Sea. Anyone with sense was home, staying warm in front of a fire, so the newcomers were unexpected. "_We don't have our glamour on, and its too late to put it on now, they might detect it_."

Gwynnid nodded agreement as she set her glass down on the table and lifted a hand to signal Pedran, getting an understanding nod in reply. "_We'll have to go out the back, can't risk outsiders seeing us_." The old man walked past their booth and stood beside the newcomers, blocking their view of the elves as he took their drink order. Gwynnid gathered her cloak and slid out of the booth, and Gleis picked his up and followed, making sure Pedran had the strangers attention. "_We need to alert the sentries to check for others. There's been Death Eater activity in the area, they killed two families with wizard born children yesterday in Haverfordwest, and we can't risk them finding the Grove_." Moving casually, they passed behind the bar and stepped out the back door of the pub, into the howling wind.

They were on the pathway back to the forest, passing through the back garden of the last house before the woods started when they heard the screams and saw a flash of green light. "_It's the Ebsworth place! They've got a wizard born daughter. Come on_!" Gleis paused for a moment to cast a concealing glamour on them both, while Gwynnid cast a quick charm to summon the Grove sentries, then they turned in at the garden gate and ran to where the back door hung half off the hinges. A man in black robes and a white mask turned as they entered the mudroom and Gleis dove sideways as the stranger raised his wand and a blasting curse blew a hole in the wall where the his head had been. Gleis lifted a hand and cast a bone crushing spell, just as Gwynnid cast a blasting curse, knocking the man off his feet and throwing him backwards against the far wall where he hit with a liquid sounding thump and slid down to the floor. Gwynnid moved carefully to join her husband, reaching down to give him a hand up.

"_Be careful? I'd hate to have to break in a new husband_!" Gwynnid teased, even as she carefully looked through the doorway for other intruders. She froze for a moment when she saw the body of the eldest Ebsworth child, a boy of fourteen, laying crumpled in the hall at the bottom of the back stairs leading up to the second floor of the cottage. The young man lay partly on his back, his eyes wide and blankly staring at the ceiling. "_Oh damn, we're too late_!"

Another scream came from the front of the house. The two elves stepped carefully over the nearly boneless Death Eater they had killed and walked through the kitchen towards the sitting room. They paused when they reached the doorway out of the kitchen and Gleis cast a locating spell to confirm the enemy's positions, then pushed it open a crack to peek through. "_Just the two of them left in the house. They've got the parents on the floor and I think they're both dead, but they're still torturing the daughter and the youngest boy. Be careful?" _Gwynnid nodded, then they slipped through the door, casting spells as they went.

The Death Eaters were surprised, but not for long. They quickly dodged, then returned fire, casting blasting curses and other hex's, but to little effect since the elves were fighting as a team - one attacking while the other shielded both of them. The second Death Eater had just gone down, victim of a reflected slashing curse cast by his companion, when a sound came from the kitchen behind them. They had forgotten about the two wizards in the pub.

A voice shouted, "Avada Kedavra!" Gleis fell limply towards the floor, even as another voice shouted the same spell. "Avada Kedavra!" Gwynnid followed her husband to the floor, her emerald green eyes glazing over as she died, a single tear sliding down her cheek.

* * *

"_Are you sure, Etain_?" The tall dark haired man paused in his pacing and turned to look at the ancient woman seated beside the fire, a pleading expression on his face. "_There's no question about your prophecy? It's Gavin_?" 

The Elvin Seer sighed as she finished braiding a string of crystal beads into a lock of her long white hair, then tucked it behind her elegantly pointed ear. "_Am I the most powerful Seer in all Elderwood Grove or not_?" She waited until Myrddin nodded reluctant agreement. "_Are not the Elderwood Grove Seers the most powerful in all of Cymru, possibly all of this world?_" Again Myrddin nodded, and Etain snorted softly in amusement at the pleading expression on the mage's face. "_This is what the vision told me Myrddin. All the auguries say Gavin is the Phoenix it speaks of, but we don't know who the Dragon or the Gryffon are, not yet at least_."

Myrddin turned and walked back towards the fire. "_Did they find anything at all about the other child? Gavin has no twin, and yet the prophecy speaks of two sons of the light, born in the last minutes of July, when Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars aligned with the crescent moon_."

"_I didn't come to you with this the moment I _saw_ it you know. I asked the rest of the Circle to help me find the other child_." Etain shook her head sadly. "_We have searched the ether until our minds eye failed us, cast the rune stones until we've nearly worn the markings off them, and drawn a hundred star charts, and yet we have not found him_." She sighed wearily and rubbed her eyes with one hand. "_The Horned God's moon only happens every 200 years - there can't have been that many babies born that night, for the Goddess's sake, we just have to find the right one_..."

The old woman turned her emerald eyes downward to look at the sixteen month old child sleeping on the rug in front of the fireplace and smiled sadly. Her great granddaughter's son was beautiful; Gavin's dark eyelashes were a delicate fringe against his rounded cheeks, his soft lips pouted slightly as he dreamed, his black hair was tousled from his sleep and the pale ear, slightly less pointed than the seer's, peeking through its locks, showed his mixed human and Elvin heritage. She knew that his eyes would be a glowing emerald like hers when he woke, the golden ring outlining the green iris a gift from her bloodline.

It was a shame Gavin's parents would never see him grow up, never see him cast his first spell or hold his first sword. They had been assigned as guards for the portal at the Birchwood Grove in the Cwm Gwaun valley, one of the last elven outposts in all of Britain. It had always been a low risk area for the elves since it was far from any human city and the locals had known of the Grove for many hundreds of years, keeping the secret and helping to protect it from prying eyes. Low risk, until evil had struck.

Gwynnid and Gleis had been killed while trying to save a human family from an attack by evil's minions. It had been one of several simultaneous attacks around the Welsh countryside, including one in nearby Godric's Hollow, a village with a mixture of wizard and non wizard families. The worst thing was they had struck mostly at non magic families with magic born children, and many innocents had been killed that night. The two shouldn't have gotten involved with the human troubles, but they weren't the type to just walk past something like that, especially since children had been in danger. The Grove sentries had come quickly when they were called; they killed the Death Eaters and rescued the youngest of the Ebsworth children, but not soon enough to save Gavin's parents.

Maybe now the High Council would admit that another Dark Lord was rising, and do something about it before it affected the elven world. The shadow cast by the last Dark Lord had caused thousands of deaths; many elves had gone to the Goddess before their time, including Etain's children and grandchildren and Myrddin's Oakwood clan wife. It had nearly wiped out some of the weaker fey. The darkness seeping through from the human world affected the magic born races like a disease, causing unrest and hatred between the different peoples. Last time it had been the goblins, maybe this time it would be the centaurs...it wouldn't be long before conflicts would break out, and then the deaths would begin.

"_My great-granddaughter Gwynnid would have wanted me to train Gavin if he has inherited the sight," _Etain mused, her thoughts turning away from the past and towards the child's future. "_The sight is strong in the Elderwood bloodline. It tends to skip a generation, and since his mother was only moderately gifted it is likely Gavin will need training. It was in your wife's bloodline as well, even though she was Oakwood_," she said sadly. "_Watch him and let me know if he comes into his talent early_?"

"_Of course...I will watch for the signs. My son Gleis would have wanted me to train Gavin in magic; he already show's signs of being powerful_," Myrddin responded wearily, leaning back and closing his eyes. "_I just hope the Dark Lord allows us time_."

"_I'm getting too old for this Myrddin...I have seen the rise of six Dark Lords in the last thousand years. We haven't even had fifty years peace since the last one and I'm tired. This child is the last of both our lines, he is my only heir and I was hoping he could live in peace_." Etain sighed and ran her fingers over the worn carvings on the tall Elderwood staff leaning against her chair. "I_ know that's all your father wanted for his family when he came to live with us so long ago. I'm just sorry its not worked out the way Merlin hoped_." She looked at her companion for a moment before she continued. "_You look like you have an idea_?"

"_Well...it doesn't say they are twins_...," Myrddin gazed out the window at the forest for a long moment, then leaned forward in his ornately carved chair and brought his hand up to his chin thoughtfully. "_It speaks of them as touching each other, which is how we speak of a twin-bond, not that they are twinned. What if the other is_...," he paused and looked at the old woman, his eyes widening as he thought of a possible explanation. "_What about the other prophecy, the one where Melkin spoke about the Dragon and the Fire Bird? Fire Bird is another name for Phoenix_!"

"_Melkin died nearly 600 years ago, I'm surprised you know anything about his prophesies_," Etain watched as Myrddin got up once more and went to his bookshelf, quickly running a finger down the line of books until he found a slender one bound in green leather.

"_I knew Melkin when I was very young, and my father knew him before he became a famous seer. They studied together for a while with Bleys, and my father used to tell me about him. Melkin was a real character and used to tell the most amazing stories...I guess I kept track because of that_," Myrddin answered absently as he opened the book and flipped through the parchment pages until he reached the writing he remembered, and then read it carefully aloud.

"_The Fire Bird must hunt with the Hawk as the Old Year dies. _

_Find the Dragon, Son of Siam and Alaw,_

_While breath is drawn and blood still flows._

_Unite the child of Adam with the heir of the Oak and Elder,_

_Ere the world will fall to Darkness." _

Myrddin paused for a moment in thought. "_Since this seems to refer to the Human world it would make sense to translate it into English_." He paused for a moment as he re-read the prophesy, then began slowly. "_The Fire Bird is Gavin. Looks like he will have to be involved in whatever we do to find the boy, and the Hawk is probably me since that's what my name means and I'm the only one in the Grove named Hawk. Son of Siam and Alaw, is James and Lily's child. The next part sounds ominous...the child may be in danger, or we may be...I can't tell which. Child of Adam, is a human child, and heir of the Oak and Elder is once again Gavin, since his mother was Elder and my son was the last of the Oak royal bloodline through his mother_." He looked up at Etain with a spark of excitement in his eyes, "_What if the Dragon is across the portal, a child born at the same time as Gavin, on the human world_?"

"_A human child? I will have to think on this, Myrddin, although its worth checking on. It is a problem we must solve or our world may fall to the darkness that is spreading from the human world_." Etain closed her eyes, and allowed her mind to drift into a light trance, hoping a solution would come to her.

* * *

Myrddin sighed as he wearily pushed the shallow silver scrying bowl away from him, careful to keep the ink tinted water from sloshing onto his desk. He had tried looking into it for at least an hour a day for nearly three years, and had cast innumerable locating spells, but he had not been able to find the child the seers had identified as the Dragon. Several Elderwood Seers had _sighted _the child, and had verified he was on the human world, but they were unable to _find_ him physically, possibly because of magical wards blocking them. 

The time of the prophecy was growing ever nearer and they needed the Dragon before the time of the two boy's passage from childhood, which occurred on an Elvin child's eleventh birthday. They needed him soon if there was to be a chance to train him in the magic of this world. There was little point in sending untrained children to fight a Dark Lord, not if you wanted to give them a chance to succeed. He had already started Gavin's magical training, and he was doing well; he was going to be an extremely powerful mage when he came into his full power. They needed to find the Dragon quickly, so he could also gain the skills he would need.

"_Grandfather? My arm hurts_." The small boy the Elvin world of Cymru knew as the Phoenix stood in the doorway of his grandfather's library cradling his left arm gingerly, tears welling up in his emerald green eyes and slowly sliding down his face.

"_Come here, Gavin, and let me look at it_?" The dark haired man bent down and lifted the boy up to sit on the edge of his desk, then brushed the child's shoulder length black hair back and tucked a wayward strand behind one delicately pointed ear. "_This won't hurt a bit, I'm just going to cast a charm to see what's wrong_." He carefully touched the child's arm, calling a tiny trickle of power and casting a diagnostic charm on it. Gavin's arm glowed blue for a moment, then the spell faded without effect. "_I don't see anything wrong with your arm, did you fall_?"

The small boy shook his head soberly. "_No, but I think Harry did, because my arm hurts_."

Myrddin looked up sharply at his grandson. "_Harry? Who is that, little hawk_?" He asked curiously, using Gavin's nickname. He didn't remember any child in their Grove by that name. The boy looked down, suddenly shy.

"_Harry is my friend, we talk at night when we go to sleep. We always have, as long as I can remember_." Gavin looked up at his grandfather, afraid he'd done something wrong, but he was reassured when Myrddin smiled and nodded for him to continue. "_He is real unhappy...his Momma and Poppa died, just like mine did, but he didn't have a Grandfather to live with. He has an Aunt and Uncle, and they don't like him. They call him names and hurt him sometimes. It was his birthday yesterday too, but they didn't give him any presents_."

Myrddin's eyes widened as he realized what his grandson was saying. Gavin's Elderwood _sight_ seemed to have manifested early. He may well have been in contact with the Dragon the entire time they'd been hunting for him! "_It was Harry's fourth birthday yesterday? Just like yours_?" he asked casually, afraid to startle Gavin. "_What's his father and mother's names? Do you know his family name_?"

"_Yes Grandfather, we were born the same day, and we're best friends. We talk about things, and I'm teaching him the stories that you teach me._" Gavin smiled when his grandfather nodded encouragement. "_His mother's name was Lily, but he doesn't really know what his father's was. Maybe Potter, because his Uncle said something bad once about a man named Potter and Harry's mother. He said Harry was a freak, just like they were_."

"_Was it James Potter maybe_?" Myrddin's breath caught in his chest when Gavin nodded hesitantly, and he waited a moment before asking his next question. "_What does Harry look like_?"

"_Me! He looks like me, except his ears are round like your's and his eyes don't have the gold circle like mine do. He says his mother wasn't an elf like mine was_," Gavin smiled as he started to reach up to touch his ear, then winced when it moved his arm. "_His ears are round, but he wants ears like mine someday_." He flinched again as he forgot to keep his arm still, and rubbed it.

"_Harry's arm hurts, and you feel it too_?" Myrddin asked, stroking Gavin's silky hair softly. "_Has this happened before_?"

"_When I had the bad fever, and you couldn't make it go away_," Gavin explained, "_Harry was sick and his Aunt wouldn't help him. She shut him under the stairs_." He looked down guiltily, and hesitated. "I'm _sorry Grandfather, I know you told me not to teach the other children any of the spells you show me, but I taught him the healing charm, and he got better. I don't think he would have if I didn't. He was awfully sick_."

Myrddin spoke with Gavin for quite a long time, learning a lot about Harry, but not the most important thing; where was he now? Harry knew he hadn't always lived with his Aunt and Uncle, they took great joy in reminding him of how much of a burden he was to them, but he didn't know where he had lived originally.

Careful search of human records by one of the Grove's human friends would not turn up anything about the Potter family, so they were no closer to finding Harry than before. All they could do was wait...and hopefully they would get a hint of the boy's location.

"_Hello, little hawk_," Myrddin spoke softly as his small grandson approached slowly down the white graveled pathway three months later, his feet dragging as if he were still half asleep. "_I missed you at breakfast this morning, did you sleep late_?" He turned his face up towards the sun again, enjoying the warm fall morning, likely one of the last of the season since the oak leaves had already started falling. It was the last week of October and the days were normally cold by this time of year, so a nice day was not to be missed by staying indoors. "_I found the bracelet your friend Ydwy gave you for your birthday, you lost it under your dresser. You are four years old now Gavin, and you should be more careful with your things, especially when they are gifts_." Myrddin opened his eyes and looked at his grandson when he didn't get a response. "_You're not chattering like a little bird as you usually do, are you ill_?"

Gavin shook his head and sat down on the graceful garden bench beside his grandfather, then leaned weakly against the man's side, his face pale and worn looking with dark circles under his eyes. "_I'm fine Grandfather, but Harry doesn't feel good...I think someone hurt him again yesterday, pretty bad this time too. He didn't talk to me last night...but I could feel him crying so I sang him songs like Grandmother Etain does when I don't feel well_," he softly told the mage, then looked up with pleading eyes. "_He cried all night Grandfather, and his stomach hurts really bad and I don't think the healing charm is helping this time_." He stopped and seemed to gather his courage before he continued. "_Can Harry come to live with us? I'll be good, and I promise I'll share all my things with him_?"

Myrddin looked into his grandson's eyes, seeing the pain and sadness in the emerald depths, and made a sudden decision. "_Are you sure he wants to come here to live with us_?"

"_Yes_!" Gavin answered quickly, no doubt in his voice. "_Harry says he would do anything it takes to live with us. He says our home is like Heaven, which is like the Summer Lands I think, and he wants to be here more than anything_."

"_Do you know where he lives now_?" Myrddin asked hopefully. The last time he had asked neither of the boys had been able to answer that question, and the seers were still unable to locate where Harry was living. They had determined that the reason for this failure was powerful shields that blocked their magic, blood wards set up by a powerful wizard, apparently to protect the boy from some sort of danger.

"_They live in Surry, in a city named Little Wingy or Winking, or something. Harry can't pronounce it_," Gavin answered promptly. "_He doesn't know his address because he can't read yet, but he says all the houses on the street look the same_."

"_Do you think you would be able to tell where Harry is if we went through the portal_?" Gavin nodded eagerly, so one of the most powerful mages in all of Cymru stood, holding his hand out to his grandson. "_Lets go tell Etain we probably won't be home for dinner - we have somewhere we have to go_." He smiled when Gavin's eyes brightened with hope and the small boy smiled back. "_Change into something a little warmer, then lets go see if we can find Harry_."

The trip to the human world went without problem, even when they stepped out of the portal at Cwm Gwaun into a cold driving rain. Myrddin merely pulled the hood of his cloak further over his head and made sure Gavin was tucked tightly within its folds.

"_Alright Gavin, we're here. Can you feel Harry_?" Myrddin held Gavin in his arms and waited patiently while the boy closed his eyes and searched.

"_That way, Grandfather_." Gavin said finally and pointed eastwards, towards where Myrddin knew London to be.

"_We will start by _drifting_ to one of the London marker stones_," Myrddin explained as he reached out with his magic to find one of the ancient stones the elves used as anchors when they employed the elven form of apparation to travel to an area they weren't familiar with. They were usually stones about a meter long by half-meter thick and wide, roughly squared off and then infused with runic magic. The stones had been set within elven forests and at important places across Britain when elves had been plentiful in the world, forming a powerful net of beacons across most of the island. Now most of them were either destroyed or used in human walls or set in parks. "_I found one. Hold on, I'm not sure where we will come out_." He closed his eyes and concentrated on moving them both towards the stone.

Myrddin opened his eyes and saw a large rock in front of him, set firmly into the side of a bridge abutment. A sudden blare of an auto horn made him jump out of the roadway, narrowly avoiding being hit by an oncoming car. He moved carefully off onto the grassy berm of the road and looked down at Gavin. "_Now where do we need to go_?"

Gavin closed his eyes tightly again, and wrinkled his nose as he tried to find Harry. "_That way, only not so far as before_," he said finally, pointing in more of a southeasterly direction than before.

Once again, Myrddin concentrated to find a marker stone. It took him a while, there weren't many in that direction since it was heavily farmed and a lot of the stones had been destroyed by development. Finally he found one in the right direction. "_Hold on, here we go_."

This time the stone was set in the wall surrounding a pasture, and they barely escaped the bull they disturbed when they popped in nearly under his nose. The next one was completely buried under a large thorny bush, and it took several minutes to get untangled, and several more to pick the last of the thorns out of their clothes. The fourth stone was in the center of a creek, and Myrddin had to cast drying and cleansing spells on them both after they climbed out.

"_Lets take a break for a few minutes_," Myrddin said, "_we'll have some lunch_." He sighed wearily and sat on a nearby log, setting Gavin down so he could stretch his legs. "_We're probably not that far away, but I'm tired and need a little rest before we continue_." He conjured some lunch and they ate quietly, resting until well after the sun was past its highest point.

Gavin suddenly put his hand to his head and collapsed to the ground with a groan. "_Grandfather! I think something has happened to Harry_!" He curled up, wrapping his arms around his ribs in pain, and moaned as he tried to catch his breath.

"_Gavin! Push the pain away from you, like it's a blanket covering you - its not your pain, push it off_!" Myrddin watched helplessly as Gavin struggled to push the pain away for many minutes before he was able to sit up. "_Are you alright_?"

"_Harry is hurt bad! He isn't asleep, but he's not moving and it feels like he's in his cupboard under the stairs again. Wait...,_" Gavin closed his eyes and turned, trying to pinpoint where Harry was. "_We need to go now_!" He lifted his arm and pointed south.

Myrddin searched for the next stone and finally found it, jumping them there immediately. They were standing beside a water fountain in a small park. The marker stone was set as part of a low wall around a spindly tree. He set Gavin down and looked around. There was a rusted swing set and a wooden frame surrounding a pile of dirty sand, next to a patch of worn out grass. A busy road ran beside the park and Gavin watched the cars pass with wide eyes. "_Where now Gavin_?"

The boy closed his eyes and turned in a circle, then opened them and pointed in the direction the road led. "_That way, not very far though. We need to hurry_!" Myrddin picked him up once more and began to walk quickly, following the route Gavin pointed out as closely as possible without crossing through yards.

Eventually, they reached a side street where all the houses were identical, small two story brick homes with identical bushes out front. Gavin looked at the houses for a minute then turned to his grandfather. "_This is the right street, and I think Harry is in one of the houses in the middle_."

Myrddin set Gavin down for a moment and held his small hand as he looked down the row. "_I see which one it is, there are wards around it...it may be difficult to get through them_."

"_I see them too, they look like yellow fog_," Gavin said softly.

They moved closer to the house with the wards, and stopped about a hundred feet from it. "_The edge of the first ward is here - it seems to be an alarm set to go off if magic users cross into it. Stand still for a moment, I'm going to need both hands to get us through without setting it off_." He reached out and gently stroked the magical field, soothing it and persuading it not to alert whoever was watching when they passed through. _"Now, walk slowly forward until I tell you to stop_." They moved to the sidewalk in front of the house before stopping once more. "_Another ward Gavin, just a moment_."

"_Hurry Grandfather_," Gavin said quietly, worry evident in his voice. "_I don't feel Harry anymore_."

The mage made quicker work examining this ward. The first part was passive, meant to prevent anyone from using the wizard method of apparating in or out, and it could be ignored for now since it wouldn't affect the elven way of travel. A second active layer, blood magic from the feel of it, was set to stop anyone meaning harm to the occupants from entering. He felt several other alarm and surveillance spells as well, but they would not prevent their entry and could be ignored for now. Myrddin picked Gavin up once more and moved quickly to the front door of the house at number 4 Privet Drive. He examined the door and noticed a small button set into the frame to one side. "_People push that when they want to go in the door_," Gavin said softly. Myrddin thought for a moment, then cast a wandless charm on the door, opening it silently.

They stepped quietly through and closed it quietly behind them, listening to see if anyone was home. "_Where would Harry be_?" Myrddin whispered, looking around a garishly decorated sitting room. Gavin pointed towards the stairs, then led his grandfather to a padlocked cupboard door set under the risers. Myrddin motioned him back, and cast another unlocking spell before slowly opening the door.

A small black haired boy was curled on his side with a purple bruise covering one side of his thin face. He lay facing the back wall on a stained mattress pad, blood pooled under him. A ragged shirt was torn part way off, revealing blade sharp shoulder bones. A pair of shorts, many sizes too large for his emaciated body, were tangled around his feet. Bruises and stripes of blood across the boy's back, buttocks, and legs showed where he had been hit with a strap of some sort, likely not for the first time since some of the bruises overlapped ones that had already faded to yellow.

"_Great Goddess, what have they done to him_!" Myrddin reached out to feel for a pulse at Harry's throat, making sure he was still alive. He found a faint one, but the boy was cool and clammy to the touch. "_They've nearly killed you child_," Myrddin whispered in horror, looking at the injuries a quickly cast diagnostic spell had revealed. "_What kind of monsters are they_?" Internal injuries and bleeding, broken ribs, a broken arm, a concussion and a bleeding head wound from when he was apparently thrown into the cupboard, in addition to the damage caused by the latest whipping he had received. "_He's in shock Gavin, I have to heal him now - he's too injured to move. Keep watch, let me know if you hear or see anything, I don't want to be interrupted in the middle of a spell_." Gavin nodded, his face pale, then moved to where he could see the stairway and the front door.

Myrddin frowned angrily as he started casting the most powerful healing spell he knew. Subtlety be damned, it was just too bad if whoever set the wards felt the spells, no child deserved this and he almost hoped they were caught - he would love to meet the people who allowed a child to be abused like this. It was a good thing they had gotten here as quickly as they had - even an hour later and Harry would have been dead.

Several healing and strengthening spells later, Harry was breathing better and he wasn't as pale, so Myrddin lifted his frail body carefully out of the cupboard and carried him over to one of the overstuffed couches, laying him down on the soft cushion and casting a cleansing spell so he could examine him again in better lighting. The boy's bruises were nearly gone and the head wound had closed, leaving only a faint scar, but he knew the broken bones and internal injuries weren't completely healed. "_Gavin, come here and see if you can talk to Harry - let him know we're here. I think he may be afraid to wake up_," Myrddin said, still worried because Harry hadn't opened his eyes.

Gavin knelt beside Harry and reached out with one small hand to cover the scar that zigzagged down his friend's forehead. He closed his eyes for a moment and then began to softly sing one of the lullabies Myrddin sang at bedtime. Harry didn't respond, but Gavin kept singing, changing to one of the first teaching songs he had ever learned, a simple tune about magical animals dancing with the sprites, repeating it until Myrddin suddenly heard another soft voice trying to sing along. Gavin bent close to Harry and whispered in his ear. "_Harry? Wake up Harry, we're here to bring you home_."

Harry moaned as he opened his emerald green eyes, then looked at them with a dazed expression on his face. "You're here?" He closed his eyes again for a moment, then tried to sit up. Myrddin moved quickly to support him, kneeling on the floor in front of the couch and reaching out both hands to hold Harry upright. Harry opened his eyes again and looked for a long moment at the unfamiliar face in front of him, then turned to look at Gavin. A large smile slowly grew on his bruised face, and he shakily reached one spindly arm out to place his fingertips on Gavin's cheek. "_You're real, you're really here!_" he gasped in Elvish, tears of joy starting to fall down his cheeks. Gavin nodded, a wide smile on his face.

"Are you ready to go? Is there anything you need here?" Myrddin asked in English, surprised that the child had answered in their language but suddenly nervous about how long they had been in the house. He didn't know if his spells had set off an alarm, or who would show up if they had, and he decided he wasn't prepared to conduct a magic duel with two small boys underfoot. They needed to get Harry back to the Oak Grove where the healers could see him. He was a powerful mage, and the combination of elven and human spells he had used had healed the worst injuries, but it was obvious Harry needed more than that.

"_No, there isn't anything here I need_," Harry said firmly, his eyes locked on Gavin's face. "_Lets go home_."

Myrddin picked Harry up carefully, trying not to hurt him as he wrapped him in his cloak, and Gavin wrapped his arms around his grandfather's leg, holding on tightly. "_Alright, hold on...we'll _drift_ directly back to the Grove. From there, we'll take the portal home so the healers can look at you_." Two sets of nearly identical green eyes looked up at him, and two young heads nodded agreement. Myrddin closed his eyes as he reached his mind out to find the stone in the Grove at Cwm Gwaun, held the energies still for a long moment, then _drifted_ them out. The three of them vanished without a sound, moments before a key slid into the front door knob and turned to unlock it.

There was a sudden surge of power as the spells guarding number 4 Privet Drive came crashing down.

The fireplace flared green, and the worried face of Minerva McGonagall appeared in the flames as Albus Dumbledore looked up in surprise at the sudden unwanted interruption. He had left Hogwarts for a few days to take care of some problems at his estate, and he wasn't pleased to be bothered about what he assumed to be a trivial matter. "Albus! We've got a problem - there are several alarms going off in your office. It looks like all the wards at the Potter boy's house have fallen!"

"Contact the Order! Get someone over there immediately," the white haired man snapped as he stood and moved quickly to the fireplace. "I'm on my way!"

Dumbledore grabbed an emergency port key off his desk and stuck it in a pocket of his robe, then grabbed a handful of flue powder, tossing it quickly into the fire and firmly telling it "Arabella Figg's house" before jumping in. The fire flashed, and the wizard was gone, reappearing almost instantly in the fireplace of a small cottage on Magnolia Crescent, a short way from Privet Drive. Dumbledore brushed soot off his robes as he moved quickly through the crowded sitting room, pushing cats out of his way as he went. "Arabella! Follow me!"

He emerged from the house, the older squib on his heels, and strode quickly down the street to Privet Drive. Nothing appeared to be wrong as he approached the Dursley house, but the wards were gone, so he waited a moment until soft pops indicated someone had apparated in. "Go to the back, Kingsley," Albus ordered with a glance as Alastar Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt joined them, then motioned the others to follow him to the front door.

Dumbledore reached out with his wand and cast a quiet unlocking charm on the front door, then pushed it open and quietly stepped in, moving slowly towards the stairway. A sudden shriek came from the kitchen and a roar from the sitting room quickly followed.

"Freaks! Get out of my house!" A loud voice blustered, and Dumbledore and Moody quickly moved to the kitchen. Petunia Dursley stood with her back to the sink, a furious expression on her face. Her corpulent husband stood nearly toe to toe with Kingsley, his face bright red with fury, nearly foaming with rage. "Get out! You freaks can't just bust into my house, I don't care what you want! Get out before my neighbor's see you!" Vernon reached out to hit at Kingsley, and Moody promptly cast a stupefy on the beefy man, dropping him immediately to the floor. Petunia shrieked again and ran to her husband, a mixture of tears and muttered threats rising from where she knelt over him.

"Where's Harry?" Dumbledore asked calmly when Petunia's noise had quieted slightly upon finding her husband unconscious instead of dead.

Petunia lifted her head to gaze coldly at the Headmaster. "The freak's gone, and good riddance!" she said, nearly spitting the words out. "Now get out!"

Kingsley had moved out of the kitchen and soon spotted the open cupboard door under the stairs. "Headmaster, you'd better come see this," the auror said grimly. He cast a spell on the blood stained mattress, and sighed when the result said it was human blood. "This doesn't look good, there's enough blood here to indicate a major injury."

Dumbledore cast a spell to detect recent magic and looked at the strange results for a long moment. "Several major healing charms, and several spells of a type I've never seen before." He held his wand on the flat of his palm and muttered "point me Harry Potter." The wand spun randomly, not detecting any trace of Harry. Dumbledore moved to the far side of the sitting room and recast the spell, hoping it had been the traces of odd magic interfering with the previous spell. Again, the spell failed, and he paled as the reality of the situation hit him.

Dread filled him... They had lost Harry Potter.

Several hours later, Dumbledore's office was filled with members of the Order of the Phoenix, most sitting silent with concerned expressions on their faces as they listened to Alaster Moody explain what they had found in Vernon Dursley's memories when they had used legilimency on him.

"So," Professor Snape snarled, "they have been abusing Potter...and this afternoon Dursley beat him bad enough to nearly kill him."

Dumbledore sighed as he nodded reluctantly, his eyes totally without their normal twinkle. The blasted Muggles were supposed to treat the boy badly, but he'd told them not to cause permanent injury. Now all his careful planning was for naught.

"I warned you about giving him to those muggles," Snape said as he sat back in his chair with a satisfied smirk.

"Now wait just a minute Severus," Minerva McGonnagal replied sharply, supporting the Headmaster's decision despite her own misgivings. "They are his only blood relatives, that was the best place to put him given the circumstances!"

"He had to be there for the blood wards to work," Dumbledore added calmly, trying to diffuse the situation. "It was the safest place for him."

"You gave him to muggles who nearly killed him, and now he has disappeared," Snape pointed out coldly. "The blood wards were useless." He smirked as his comment started a small riot when all the members present tried to express their view at once.

"Quiet please!" Dumbledore finally said, gaining almost instant obedience. "Moody, Arabella, did you find out anything from the neighbors? Did any of them see anything odd?"

Moody snorted. He'd spent nearly an hour terrorizing the Dursley's neighbors, and cast a dozen obliviates, but nobody had seen anything. Apparently whoever had taken Harry had been invisible, for all the muggles had noticed. "Nothing. Those muggles wouldn't see a dragon if it landed on their dining table," he growled. "Worthless."

"The only magic in the house that we could identify were healing spells," Kingsley added. "We don't know what the other spells did; none of us has ever seen magic that would leave a residue like that."

Arabella looked at the Headmaster hopefully. "Would it be possible to get someone from the Department of Mysteries to take a look at it?"

"Alas, I've never seen magic of that type before either." Dumbledore sighed and sat wearily down behind his desk, his expression bleak. "I will ask at the Ministry, but meanwhile we will just have to keep our eyes open and hope we find something that will lead us to Harry." Dumbledore turned his attention to the corner where Snape sat with his arms crossed on his chest, looking like a large black bat. "Let me know instantly if any of Voldemort's supporters have him."

Snape nodded, but cast a sneering look at the rest of the Order. "It is unlikely Death Eaters took the brat - they would hardly have bothered to cast healing spells."

* * *

AN: This is not going to be an Uber-Harry story - so let me know if I slide that direction too badly. Some Welsh/Celtic mythology will play a part, and Dumbledore bashing will probably occur at some point. Strictly AU, won't adhere to storyline because major action will happen prior to book timeline. 

I'd appreciate some reviews to let me know if this is worth adding more chapters to. Review Please?

11/10/2007 …I've done some minor revising on this chapter to correct a few errors and reposted it.


	2. Return to Sender

AN: The usual disclaimers apply!

_All conversations in this chapter are in Elvish, just so you know_.

* * *

PHOENIX and DRAGON: Through the World Gate 

Chapter 2

Myrddin winced as Naf Ianwdd slapped the stone table once more, his irritation clearly seen by the rest of the High Council. "_The child goes back to his people! He is clearly out of danger now. Take him to the magic folk's aurors - let them deal with his relatives, if they can even find them again. Either way, the boy will be safe and back where he belongs, with the humans_!"

Myrddin sighed and rubbed his eyes wearily. They'd been debating this for hours, some arguing about the prophecy, despite Etain's assurances concerning its validity, some objecting to him bringing the boy from the human world and risking the humans discovering them. Some even wanted to close the World Gate altogether...about the only thing they _all_ agreed on was that Harry had to be returned to the humans. The High Council had never before moved quickly to any decision, but this time it looked like their fear of the human world would overcome their usual tendency to think things through.

"_The boy must stay_," Myrddin said for the fifth time in as many minutes. "_He is the prophesied child, and he needs to stay here to train or the Darkness_…," he stopped as several of the councilors stood and started shouting at each other. He sighed and rubbed his face with both hands in frustration, then stood as well, waiting until the others fell silent.

"_Will you at least wait until the child has fully healed before making your final decision_?" Myrddin asked wearily. "It _would be cruel to send him back as he is_." The rest of the councilors looked away, as if ashamed to be thought capable of causing harm to a child. Finally, they each nodded as they reached a silent decision.

"_We will wait one week so he may heal, but then he must be returned to where you found him after that_," Naf Ianwdd stated firmly. "_Do we have your word on this_?"

Myrddin sighed and reluctantly nodded in agreement. "_I will return him in one week_."

A small shadow moved quietly away from the open window of the council room, stepping carefully so as to not disturb the dry leaves on the pathway, then broke into a run towards the intricately carved posts framing the entryway of the elven healing hall. A short moment later, Gavin was kneeling beside the bed where Harry was lying.

"_Harry_!" Gavin whispered, lightly touching the smaller boy on the shoulder. "_Wake up_!"

Harry stirred, lifting one spindly arm to rub the sleep from his eyes. "_What is it Gavin_," he mumbled sleepily. "_Why are you here so late_?" The healers had sent Gavin to his Grandfather's home hours earlier, and he wasn't supposed to return before morning.

"_There's a council meeting_," Gavin whispered, looking carefully around in case a healer was nearby. "_They want to send you back_!"

Harry froze, his eyes widening in fear. "_No, I can't_," he whispered shakily. "_I won't go back! Uncle Vernon will kill me_!"

"_I know_!" Gavin whispered back, reaching to hold Harry's hand. "_We've got to figure out something so they will have to let us keep you! You're like my brother, and I'm not going to let them take you back_!"

Harry's eyes widened with worry, and then narrowed again as he had a sudden thought. "_What if I _was_ your brother, Gavin? What if we did like Lleu and Pwyll_**?" **Gavin looked confused, so Harry continued. "_Like in the story your Grandfather read to us this morning! They were fighting, and everyone was mad and wanted them to quit, so they made a pledge to stop fighting each other by holding hands through the Serpents Stone, and sweared brotherhood to each other, and the gods changed them so they were really brothers_!"

Gavin's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open in shock, then closed and widened into a grin as he considered the idea. "_Everyone will be in the cer'monal circle tomorrow night for the solstice so they won't notice if we go to the stone_!" He frowned as he had another thought. "_We have to cut our hands though, to share blood, and we'll need a special knife_." Gavin ducked down beside Harry suddenly as he heard the faint sound of voices and footsteps approaching from deeper in the Healers Hall. "_I've got to go, that's Naf Awel! The meeting is over and my Grandfather will be mad at me if he sees I'm not in bed! We'll talk more in our dream_!"

Harry watched as Gavin darted out the door, heading back to his grandfather's house at a run. Maybe things would be alright after all. Maybe he would finally have a family!

* * *

AN – Sorry this is so short, but at least it's an update! I hope to add another chapter soon. 


	3. If Only

AN – Thanks to those of you who've reviewed, and those who've shown interest by marking this story for update alerts. Wish the numbers matched, but at least someone is interested!

_All conversations in this chapter are in Elvish._

* * *

PHOENIX and DRAGON: Through the World Gate

Chapter 3

Harry lay quietly as the voices came closer to where he lay, closing his eyes and relaxing so he looked as if he were asleep when two men finally reached his bed. He'd learned that if his uncle thought he was asleep when he checked his cupboard, sometimes he wasn't punished. He'd gotten quite good at it, so he easily fooled the two men who stood over him now.

"_Not much of him is there, Awel_." Naf Ianwdd scowled down at the small child. He was a tall slender elf with a slight limp from an injury he received from a human wizard during the last Dark war. He had no love for humans in general, and was one of the most vocal of those wanting the world gate closed.

Awel, on the other hand, had a lot of respect for the humans. He'd lived for a number of years in the Birchwood Grove at Cwm Gwaun while he studied human medicine, and had even done an internship in a large hospital in Aberdeen. He knew humans had their faults, but he'd enjoyed the company of the ones he'd gotten to know, both wizard kind and muggle.

The healer sighed as he pulled Harry's blanket higher, tucking it carefully in so the boy wouldn't kick it off. The night was cool, and there was going to be frost by morning. "_He was in bad shape when Myrddin brought him in, and that was after he'd healed him enough to move safely. Two broken ribs, a skull fracture and concussion, some internal bleeding and bruising on both of his kidneys, a separated shoulder and broken left arm, and both bones in his right arm were broken sometime in the past and healed without being set. I had to re-break them so they could heal properly_…," he stopped as Ianwdd gasped in shock. "_Not to mention a slight case of pneumonia, a strep infection in his throat, infection in some of the cuts on his back, severe malnutrition, dehydration, and bruises over most of his body_."

"_I didn't know it was that bad_," Ianwdd murmured, slightly ashamed of his fervent refusal to allow the boy to stay. "_Myrddin was right to protest, the child needs more time to heal before we send him back._" Elves treasured their children since so few were born, and to harm a child was one of their most heinous crimes. Abuse such as this was unknown to their culture, and he simply hadn't realized how badly the boy was injured.

Awel ran his hand slowly through the air above Harry's body, a blue glow following his hand as he scanned the boy's condition one last time before he retired to his bed. "_I've healed most of the damage, but he's still weak and it will take time for him to be completely well_."

"_No, I'm not going to change my mind. I'm sorry for him, but he doesn't belong here_," Ianwdd said as Awel looked at him hopefully.

"_What about Etain's prophesy_?" Awel asked finally, raising one delicate eyebrow as he realized the boy was only pretending to sleep. He reached to run his hand gently through Harry's silky hair, soothing him with his magic until he felt the boy relax, not surprised when the child pressed into his touch. Goddess knows he'd likely never known simple kindness, let alone love, from an adult. "_I'm not sure why Myrddin is so convinced this boy is part of it, but he's seldom wrong about his interpretations. Etain said the seers circle was looking for the boy, so surely we could wait long enough for them to confirm if he is the one_?"

"_They will be here for the solstice; we will speak of it then_." Ianwdd sighed as he looked down at the human child. "_Perhaps we can return him to a safer place than where he was found, maybe with one of the wizarding families in Cwm Gwaun or Godric's Hollow_." He shook his head at the cruelty humans were capable of and quietly left the healers hall, leaving the healer behind with the troublesome child.

Awel nodded to himself, stroking Harry's hair one last time as the boy slipped into sleep. "_I hope there is a safe place for you child, if you must return to your world_," he whispered. "_You already have a great deal of power, and there are those who will use you if they can, but I promise you I will do my best to keep you safe_."

* * *

"_Harry? Can you hear me_?" Gavin sat cross legged in the dream meadow, feeling the sun warm on his head, watching as a bright orange butterfly fluttered past, dipping and rising in the soft breeze. The meadow was mostly from a memory of a place Myrddin had brought him when he was two years old, although they'd both added bits of other favorite memories later, and it was a safe and calming place for them to meet when they dreamed together. He'd been waiting for Harry to join him for quite a long time, but he knew that sometimes it took awhile for them to be able to talk to each other here. 

"_I'm here Gavin_," a soft voice answered from behind him, and Gavin turned to see Harry walking towards him through the deep grass, moving easily with no sign of injury or bruises, his body strong and tanned as it would have been if he'd never been abused. Harry stopped to watch the butterfly, and then joined Gavin on the soft ground. "_Healer Awel and another man came to see me and I listened to them talk. I don't think they knew I was awake. Do you know about a proffsy? Something about seers and circles_?"

"_My Grandmother Etain is a seer. Seers see things that haven't happened yet_," Gavin explained as he leaned back and straightened his legs, wiggling his toes to knock an inquisitive lady beetle off. "_A prophecy is what they call it when they see something. Sometimes what they see won't happen for a long time, and sometimes it is like a puzzle and they have to figure out what it means, so they all think about it at the same time, and that's what they call a circle_." He stretched, and then lay back on the grass to watch the puffy white clouds drifting overhead. Harry soon joined him, truly relaxing for the first time since he'd come to Cymru. "_Grandfather says there's one about me, and I think you are in it too. It sounds real important, and he was really unhappy about the Council wanting to send you back_."

"_Healer Awel said I may not be safe if they send me back, even if they don't take me back to my Aunt and Uncle_." Harry sighed unhappily and wiped a tear from his cheek. He had hoped his life was going to be better after Gavin and his grandfather had rescued him, but it seemed fate had decided he didn't deserve to have a family.

"_We need to do the brother pledge tomorrow night then_." Gavin closed his eyes as Harry rolled to put his head on his shoulder, and pulled his brother closer. "_It will be alright, Harry_," he promised softly. "_Go_ _to sleep, we'll talk in the morning._"

* * *

AN – I've had some questions as to how to say some of the names in this story, so here's my (best guess) guide as to Welsh pronunciation. Profuse apologies to any native speakers, there's only so much you can do with online lexicons and dictionaries. I would love it if someone with more knowledge could correct me where I make mistakes! 

Myrddin (My + rr + thin)

Etain (Eh + tine)

Ianwdd (Ee + an + oothe)

Awel (Ow + el (or?) Ah + uh + el)


	4. The Plans We Make

AN - The usual disclaimers apply. I'm not JKR!

_All conversations in this chapter are in Elvish._

* * *

PHOENIX and DRAGON: Through the World Gate 

Chapter 4

"_I don't know what I'm going to do Etain_," Myrddin sighed as he ran his fingers through his long black hair in frustration. "_Harry needs to stay here, and not just for the sake of the prophesy. I'm _not_ going to let him go back to where he was and I still haven't found anything out about his original family_!" He turned to look at the old seer when he didn't get a response and was surprised to see her with a small smile on her face.

"_I don't think it will be a problem Myrddin_." She smiled mysteriously again and took another sip of her tea. "These _things have a way of working themselves out_."

Myrddin looked closer at his elder and narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "_You've seen something, haven't you_!"

"_That's neither here nor there_." Etain waved a hand dismissively then pulled one of her braids up and started to gently untie it, setting the crystal beads and carved hair ornaments she had worked into the plait onto the table, seemingly oblivious to Myrddin's growing impatience. "_What did you have planned for the day, child? Are the preparations for tonight completed_?" She smiled slightly as Myrddin growled at her in frustration, but ignored him, knowing it would make him even angrier. "_I expect my Circle to be here at midday, so I won't be able to join you for mid-meal. Why don't you take the boys somewhere for the afternoon? I'm sure Harry would enjoy seeing the meadow where you always take Gavin_." She laughed gently as Myrddin finally stood with a growled goodbye and left to find Gavin and Harry. "_Oh, he's just too easy_!"

* * *

"..._and then, I pulled as hard as I could and the fish flew out of the water and up into the air and landed on Grandfather's head and made him fall down into the water and get all wet and have sea weed in his hair and he looked really funny_!" Gavin explained, gesturing with excitement as he told Harry about a recent fishing trip to the coast, nearly knocking a pitcher of apple juice off the dining room table with one wild swing of his arms. Harry laughed as Myrddin tried to deny ever being in such an embarrassing position and took another bite of juicy yellow melon. "_Did too, Grandfather_!" Gavin insisted, and then giggled as Myrddin started tickling him to distract him from his story, and both of them ended up with juice in their hair when Gavin was caught mid drink by a laugh. Harry grinned as Gavin slid out of his chair and ran shrieking towards his bedroom, his grandfather in close pursuit. 

"_I think you boys need to take a nap, so you can stay up for the celebration tonight_," Myrddin said a few minutes later as he helped Harry wipe melon juice off his hands and face. Gavin lay on his bed watching his grandfather's efforts, his eyes heavy, despite his protests of not being tired. "_You can get up in a few hours and join everyone at the village center for evening meal, and if you're good I'll let you help me relight our hearth fire in the morning_."

"_Yes Grandfather, we'll rest for awhile. I think Harry is tired, so I'll lay with him_." Gavin smiled as Harry lay down beside him on the bed, both closing their eyes and seeming to drop into sleep quickly. Myrddin watched from the doorway for several minutes, then left quietly to take care of some last minute preparations for the solstice ceremony.

"_He's gone…come on, I need your help_." Gavin's eyes popped open and he slid quickly off the bed, followed by a wide awake Harry, and both of them tiptoed to the door and peeked around the edge to make sure Myrddin was really gone.

Harry followed Gavin into his Grandfather's office, and watched as he started sliding desk drawers out, apparently looking for something.

"_What are we looking for_?"

"_A small wooden box_," Gavin held his hands out about a foot apart, "_with a red spiral carved on top_."

Harry moved to the other side of the desk and pulled out the lowest drawer, carefully lifting a stack of parchment to check underneath. "_Is this it_?"

Gavin quickly moved to look into the drawer, and smiled. "_Yes, that's it_!"

Harry watched as Gavin carefully lifted the box out, and set it on the desk top, gasping when he opened it to reveal a silver knife with an ornately carved handle nestled in pale cream colored linen.

"_What is it_?" Harry reached out to touch it, and Gavin caught his hand to prevent him.

"_You can't touch it yet! We have to be prepared for the pledge first. It's Grandfather's athame. It's a sacred knife, used only for special ceremonies. We need it for tonight_." Gavin carefully closed the box and the drawers he'd opened, crossed the room to a small cabinet, opening it to take a small bottle of what looked like oil out before he led Harry back to the bedroom.

"_Won't he miss it? What if he needs it tonight_?" Harry asked, uneasy about stealing the knife; he didn't want to do something that would make Myrddin angry with him. In his experience, anger meant punishment and pain, and even if Myrddin seemed too nice to hurt him he wasn't sure he wanted to take a chance.

"_No, it won't be used tonight. It's a different type of thing tonight_." Gavin pushed the box and bottle of oil under his bed and motioned for Harry to lie back down. "_Sleep for now, you need to be strong enough for later_." He moved to his bookcase and carefully pulled out the book of legends with the story that had given them the idea for their pledge. "I'll _read to you while you go to sleep and then work on what we need to say tonight_."

"_They sure do look alike don't they_," Etain said quietly when she returned to the house sometime later with Myrddin. She smiled, looking down at the boys as they lay curled up together. Identical heads of wildly tousled black hair, and dark eyelashes shading eyes she knew were of an identical emerald green. Their only difference, besides Harry's unhealthy slenderness, was their ears and the small ring of gold in Gavin's eyes. "_If I didn't know better I would say they were siblings, if not twins_." She smiled slightly and turned to look out the window at the rapidly setting sun as Myrddin looked at her in confusion, wondering at her comment.

Harry was curled on his side, his head tucked under Gavin's chin, one arm across his chest, while Gavin had one leg over both of Harry's, his hand covering Harry's on his chest, both sound asleep, the book laying open beside them. Myrddin carefully picked up the book, closing it and replacing it in the bookcase without seeing where it was opened to, or the scrap of parchment tucked between the pages, and then pulled a light cover over both boys.

"_We'll let them sleep for awhile longer, then wake them so they can get dressed. Awel wanted to check Harry again as well._" Etain nodded agreement, then quietly left, leaving Myrddin to stare pensively down at the boys. "_I promise I won't let them send you back Harry. I'll think of something_…"

* * *

AN – It's been pointed out to me that alternating "Harry" with "Hari" caused confusion. Sorry!! I've gone back and edited it for consistency. 

Myrddin (My + rr + thin)

Etain (Eh + tine)

Awel (Ow + el) or? (Ah + uh + el)


	5. Go Oft Awry

AN: Nope...still not mine, no matter hard I wish.

_All conversations in this chapter are in Elvish._

* * *

PHOENIX and DRAGON: Through the World Gate 

Chapter 5

Harry stuffed another piece of apple bread into his mouth and reached to take a small pumpkin tart from a plate a blond haired elf maid was holding. He ducked as a pair of teenaged elves ran past, pulling a third one after them, black and orange ribbon streamers tied to all their arms, and circlets of bright oak leaves on their heads

"_Is it always like this_?" Harry asked as he stretched his hands out and warmed them in the heat of the large bonfire centered in the open circle of paving in the middle of the Oakwood village.

"_Yes, at least Samhain is_." Gavin ducked as the three ran back past them again, a different one being pulled this time, all three chanting some sort of rhyming song. He bit into a bright red apple, the juice dripping down his chin, and grinned when Harry laughed at him before going back to watching all the adults around him enjoy horns of the mulled wine that was being passed around.

Both boys looked up as Awel sat down beside Harry, reaching to wrap a warm blanket around the boy as he did. "_It's different for each solstice. For Samhain we put all the hearth fires out at sunset and everyone gathers at the central fire. The veil between the worlds of the living and dead is thin tonight, so we honor our dead, and celebrate their lives with stories and music. Then at midnight, everyone will go to the sacred grove for the ceremony sending the Old Year out and welcoming in the New Year. After that, everyone will come back to the fire, and tell more stories and eat more food. At dawn, the head of each family will take a brand from the central fire and relight their hearth fire. Then each family will spend the day together in their homes to tell stories about their ancestors, and remember those who have passed on during the last year_."

Gavin reached over to hold Harry's hand when he saw the sad expression the mention of families had brought to the other boys face. "_Tomorrow you will have a family too_," he whispered when Awel looked away to answer a question from another elf. "_We'll leave when everyone goes to the sacred grove_."

Harry nodded in agreement, his earlier excitement dimmed by the thought of the secret ritual they were going to perform in a couple hours.

Awel turned back to the boys and studied Harry for a moment, noticing how similar he looked to Gavin since the bruises had faded, and the pinched look of pain had left his face. "_I never did ask how it is that you speak our language Harry. Could you tell me_?"

Harry nodded shyly, and looked at Gavin for permission. "_I learned it when Gavin did, sir. We talked every night, and after a while we could speak both languages. Gavin taught me what his grandfather taught him, and I shared what I learned_."

Gavin frowned angrily, and muttered. "_When he was _allowed_ to learn anything that is_."

Awel raised his eyebrows at the bitter tone Gavin used. He'd never heard someone as young as Gavin speak with such hatred and it concerned him. "_What do you mean_?"

"_I lived in a cupboard, and I wasn't allowed out except to do chores. I had to earn my keep because I was a burden_." Harry looked down and clasped his hands together, the food he'd eaten turning bitter in his stomach as he remembered his previous life. He stopped for a moment, and then continued when Awel tipped his chin up so he could see his face again, gently wiping a tear away as it trickled down his cheek. "_I wasn't allowed to go to day school like my cousin was because I was a freak and not worth teaching. Gavin taught me to read and count. I can read and count in Elvish, but not English sir_." Harry's voice hitched as he choked back a sob, ashamed of his ignorance.

Awel reached an arm slowly around Harry, careful not to frighten him, and pulled him carefully into his lap, tucking the small boy's head against his chest. "_Oh child, you did nothing wrong. Those people you lived with were monsters. You aren't a freak, you're a very special child and you deserve to be happy_." He stroked Harry's back as the boy started to cry softly, his sobs barely heard even as close as Awel was. His heart hurt to think of all the pain this child must have gone through to make him learn to cry so silently and he vowed to himself that he would never allow Harry to be returned to those people, even if he had to fight the entire Council.

Eventually Harry's sobs ended and he began to pay attention to things again.

"_Sir? Could you explain the marks you have on your cheek_?" Harry was hesitant to ask a question, since he'd always been punished for his curiosity, but since everyone who was older than him and Gavin seemed to have at least one mark, it couldn't have been too private.

"_They are a representation of our choices and talents_," he paused because Harry didn't seem to understand what he'd said. "_They show what we have done, and what special things we can do_." He pointed to the first of the four runes which began on his temple and curved down onto his cheekbone and explained.

"_This one is Berkano and Jera joined; they're the runes for the power and light of spring, renewal, and a promise of new beginnings. It shows that I follow the Lady's Way instead of the Lord's. If I had chosen the Lord's Way it would be Algiz and Uruz joined, our rune for a shield, which means protection, or one who protects; its the symbol we use for the Lord of the Sacred Hunt_." He pointed to the next two and continued. "_This one shows that I have the healing touch, and this one shows that I've trained as a Healer and have been accepted by my people as one_."

Harry reached up and touched the last one, which was under Awel's eye, and asked what it meant. "_This one means I'm one of the village elders, and I can add the title Naf to my name when important things are discussed_."

"_Why doesn't Gavin have any, and why are some different colors_?" Harry asked softly. "_The one on your face_," he stopped as he touched the blue rune on Awel's temple, "_is blue, but I've seen a couple people with black ones there_."

"_You get your first rune when you are eleven and you enter your year of passage. You are expected to have learned all the things a young elf should know before this, and during this year you start learning what you will do as an adult. The first thing you do is choose if you will follow the Lady and mostly help people and create things, or the Lord and protect people. The people with the black runes have chosen to serve the Lord and Lady more closely than others, so their rune shows everyone that. You receive more runes as you learn what you are talented in, or gain honors, and sometimes those are different colors._" Awel continued when Harry just looked at him without speaking.

"_If you follow the Lady you are usually a healer, or someone who nurtures life like a farmer, or maybe you teach others, or you're a craftsman who makes something beautiful for everyone to use, or you create music or poetry. Seers usually follow the Lady as well_." He paused to make sure Harry understood. "_If you follow the Lord, you are someone who guards life, and you are one who protects the forest and village or hunts for food._" Awel stopped when he saw the confusion in Harry's eyes. "_What is your question, little one_?"

"_How can you guard life if you hunt, because you kill things when you hunt_?"

"_Death is a part of life, it is just another part of the circle, so when you kill an animal you are merely completing the circle_," Awel explained softly. "_We honor the animals we kill, and thank them for their sacrifice_."

"_Does that mean the ones who follow the Lady don't fight_?" Harry asked hesitantly.

"_Oh no, they can still fight. They just aren't natural warriors_," Awel answered, pleased that Harry was comfortable enough with him to ask questions. "_They usually have other talents to help in a fight_."

Harry stayed in Awel's lap for the rest of the evening, the soft spoken healer explaining the stories that were being told around the fire, and urging him to eat as more food was passed around. Eventually, the story telling drew to an end and people started rising to make their way towards the sacred grove.

"_Make sure you stay warm Harry, you don't need a chill_," Awel cautioned as he rose and carefully set the small boy on his feet. "_I have to go help with the ceremony, so I will see you later_?" He bent to give Harry and Gavin a last hug and then joined a group of elves heading towards the sacred grove.

"_Come on Harry, we need to leave while everyone else is still getting ready for the ceremony_." Gavin took Harry's hand and led him in the direction of the grove, then pulled him off the path when nobody was looking their direction. "The Serpent stone is this way – it's not on the same path as the altar circle. I hid the athame and the oil under a bush along the path."

Several minutes of walking later, the boys reached a small clearing in the midst of a circle of large oaks. A strange bluish stone slab, only about five feet tall with a circular hole through the center rose out of the soft moss, four serpents carved so they were biting their own tails looped through the hole, and runes covered most of the rest of the stone.

"_This is it_?" Harry asked curiously. "_I thought it would be…bigger_."

"_Grandfather says that it isn't how big it is, Harry, it's how powerful it is that matters_." Gavin reached into a pouch on his belt and pulled a scrap of parchment out, motioning Harry to join him on the ground in a patch of moonlight. "You _need to memorize this, because we will only get one chance and we have to say it together_."

The next few minutes were spent memorizing their plea to the gods, repeating it to each other until they were sure they had it correct. Additional time was spent copying runes off the parchment onto their chests, foreheads, and the palms of their hands with the fragrant oil.

"_We need to start when the moon is shining directly on the stone, which will only be a couple minutes_," Gavin said, looking with concern at how pale Harry was. "_Are you alright? You don't look very good_!"

Harry straightened and took a deep breath, trying to stop the shivers fear, and the cold night air on his bare chest and back, were giving him. "_I'm ready. Let's do it_!" He moved to the far side of the stone and looked through the hole at Gavin. "_Hand me the knife_."

The full moon's light moved closer to the center of the oaken circle, and the boys could hear chanting begin from where the rest of the village was gathered at the altar circle in the center of the sacred grove.

"_Now_!" Gavin said sharply and Harry drew the knife quickly across his palm, grimacing when Gavin reached for the knife and cut his own palm and then quickly grabbed Harry's bleeding hand, holding them so their blended blood dripped onto a circular pattern of runes cut in the bottom of the stone hole.

With a nod to Harry, they both begin speaking in unison.

"_Lord and Lady hear our plea, hear our hearts call and accept our blood as a sign of our resolve._" They both paused for a moment and exchanged a frightened look as they felt a sudden gathering of magic, almost as if something extremely powerful were standing behind each of them, waiting for something. The woods went totally silent, the chanting from the others at the sacred circle disappearing as the Serpent stone started to glow an eerie blue. Gavin motioned for Harry to continue as he hesitated.

"_Lord and Lady hear our plea! By your grace, I ask to be made a brother to Gavin, two born separate made as of one birth, blood joined to blood as our hearts are now joined, never to be parted as long as the Wheel turns_!"

"_Lord and Lady hear our plea_!" Gavin began as soon as Harry had finished his part of the plea. "_By your grace, I ask to be made a brother to Harry, two born separate made as of one birth, blood joined to blood as our hearts are now joined, never to be parted as long as the Wheel turns_!" Gavin gasped as he finished his part and the sense of waiting increased. He nodded again to Harry, tightening the grip on his hand as they started the last part in unison again and the power around them became nearly visible in its intensity, pressing on them and making it hard to breathe.

"_By Blood gift we call, hear our plea! By oak and by elder we pledge ourselves to you, Forest Lord and Moon Lady! Our hearts beat to your rhythm. Our minds follow your purpose. Our magics are your gifts. Our hands are yours to guide. Our feet will walk as you will it. May the circle be completed! As you will, so mote it be_!"

Midnight was met and the year turned, just as Gavin and Harry finished their pledge… and the world exploded around them. A wave of power blasted outwards from the stone, flashing through them as if it were fire, burning through them and flinging them both backwards to the ground.

* * *

AN: If any of you are reading this chapter for the second time, you might notice I changed the runes used for the Lord and Lady. Better research allowed me to find the appropriate ones, and I thought it would make the story better by making the change.

Myrddin (My + rr + thin)

Etain (Eh + tine)

Awel (Ow + el) or? (Ah + uh + el)


	6. An Incomplete Ritual

AN – The entire Samhain ritual is posted as Through the World Gate: Samhain if you are interested in seeing it. And now, on with the story!

_All conversations in this chapter are in Elvish._

* * *

PHOENIX and DRAGON: Through the World Gate

Chapter 6

A tall elf with long honey blond hair led the procession down the path to the sacred circle, playing a soft melody on a silver flute, accompanied by soft taps on a bodhran held by a slender elf maid with blond hair so light it was almost silver. The villagers fell in line, and started singing softly as they walked; beginning again each time the short tune was completed.

"_We are one, in our grove,_

_upon the earth, within the sea, beneath the sky._

_We are joined, to send our call,_

_to the honored dead, to the spirit folk, to the blessed gods._

_We praise thee, in one voice, in our sacred grove._

_We are one_."

Eventually, everyone reached the sacred circle and spread out around it, taking each other's hands to form a large circle around the stone altar, continuing to sing until everyone had taken their places. The altar was a single circular stone about fifteen feet in diameter, and four in height, with runes carved into every part of its surface, although most were so worn and eroded they were nearly unreadable. The altar had a large hole in the center where an ancient oak grew; the tree, knarled and twisted by age, would have taken four elves with their hands joined to encircle it and it soared high into the air. Four elves took their places in a smaller circle close to the stone, one to each compass direction, their loose cream colored linen robes glowing in the moonlight. As soon as the four priests took their places, the singing and music stopped.

"_We are here to honor the gods and the old ways, to receive the blessings of the Lady Donn and the Lord Herne, and to remember our ancestors_," the High Priest intoned from the north.

Another, a young looking elf maid, reached out and lit a fire in a flat brazier set at the southern most side of the altar, then dropped dried sage and mint onto the low fire. Fragrant smoke rose, drifting outwards to tease the noses of those gathered for the ceremony. "_I kindle_ _the sacred fire in wisdom, love, and power. Sacred fire, burn within us_."

The gathering chanted softly in reply, "_Sacred fire, burn with us_."

A priest stepped forward and poured water from a silver pitcher into a second dish set on the western most side of the altar, and then spoke quietly. "_In the depths flow the waters of wisdom. Sacred waters flow within us_." He dropped several silver coins into the water and slowly walked around the gathered circle, whisking water from a small silver bowl onto each with a whisk made of broom and thistle as the gathering chanted the reply.

"_Sacred waters, flow within us_."

The priest to the east, an elderly elf with many beads braded into his long silver hair, lit a roll of sage and mint set within a censer, and walked around the circle, wafting the scented smoke on each person as he passed. "_From the depths to the heights spans the world tree. Sacred tree, grow within us_."

Again, the gathering chanted the reply. "_Sacred tree, grow within us_."

The priest at the north, a stern looking elf of middle age and the only one with an embroidered silver edge on his robe, spoke next. "_The fire, the well, the sacred tree_," he paused as the gathering spoke the next line.

"_Flame and flow and grow in me_!"

Once again he spoke alone, "_In land, sea and sky_."

The next line was spoken by the gathering, "_Below and on high_!"

Again, the priest spoke, "_Thus is the sacred grove claimed and hallowed_."

The gathering spoke once again, louder, as if ordering obedience. "_Let it be done_!"

Finally the high priest spoke the final words, consecrating the sacred circle for the ceremony. "_By the cleansing of water and fire, let all ill turn away from me and mine_."

The gathering answered with a joyous voice, "_Let it be done_!"

The next step to the ceremony was taken up by the priestess in the south most position. "_You who come from the outer dark, You who stand against the gods and man, You who are cold of heart and cruel of mind, Take this offering and trouble not our working_." She threw a handful of incense onto the brazier and stepped back into her place as the gathering responded.

"_Let the circle be unbroken_!"

The high priest stepped forward once more and began speaking in a strong voice, his words audible to all. "_As the Earth falls into sleep the Ancient Mother is wielding her scythe and cutting the green corn down, to sow it again in the late winter's night. She is the wise and cunning old woman, grandmother to peoples and races of the Earth. Hear us now, Great Ancient Grandmother, Bright Lady, Lady of the Waning Moon. We your children pray that you be with us, that you look kindly upon our holy rite, and that you come into our Grove and give us your blessing_." He paused slightly and the remaining three priests stepped forward.

"_We give due offering to you. We give you_...," the high priest had just intoned when a wave of magical power hit the gathering and priests, bringing most to their knees in shock as the force passed through them.

* * *

Gavin sat up slowly, his head spinning, and looked dazedly around. He realized he was no longer in the sacred grove; this was obvious because the trees were gone and the mossy ground had changed into a floor of smooth stone tiles, but all he could see in all directions was fog. A short distance away Harry was laying on his back, still and pale, although he appeared to be in the form he normally took in their dreams instead of the spindly wraith he was in reality. He was relieved when he saw Harry start to stir and crawled over to sit beside him. 

"_What hit me_," Harry moaned, opening his eyes briefly before laying his arm across his aching head. "_Was it supposed to hurt so much Gavin_?"

"_I don't know, but we have a bigger problem_," Gavin answered, shaking Harry's shoulder to get his attention. "_Where are we? Is this a dream_?"

Harry reluctantly dropped his arm and struggled to sit up, making his head spin and his stomach lurch. He looked around as Gavin had, and eventually spotted an area where the otherwise featureless fog seemed thinner and brighter than the rest. "_Let's go that way? It looks like something might be there_."

They managed to get to their feet and slowly moved towards the lighter area, supporting each other for the first few steps until they grew steadier. Several minutes later, if their sense of time was accurate, they reached an area where the fog thinned and finally disappeared. In front of them was a series of platforms rising up into the distance, as if they had reached the bottom of a set of wide steps. They saw no other direction to go, so they slowly started climbing.

Eventually they reached the top and saw two large chairs, or thrones possibly. On one was a pale skinned lady with bright blue eyes, dressed in white and grey robes. An ornate silver circlet on her head confined dark silver hair that cascaded down past her shoulders and brushed the floor on both sides of her, nearly covering the delicately beaded slippers on her feet. She held a tall staff made of a pale wood carved with all the phases of the moon loosely in her hands, turning it back and forth as she watched the light sparkle off the large blue gem on its top.

The other chair held a man, if man he was, with tall branching antlers rising from his long black hair; the directionless light glinted off the polished tines, making them almost glow as he moved. His eyes were such a dark brown they were nearly black, his skin tanned and weathered, and a thick black beard covered his face and curled down his chest with bits of horn and bone braided into it. His clothes were all shades of green and brown, his feet clad in sturdy boots. A simple circlet of weathered copper graced his brow, and a long sword lay across his lap.

They both looked up as the boys stepped onto the top platform, and watched intently as they approached.

"_Do you know who they are_," Harry whispered to Gavin, wary of approaching such intimidating strangers.

"_Yes…I think I do_," Gavin replied hesitantly as they continued closer. Both boys could feel the power radiating off the man and woman, so strong it felt warm, like the heat of a mid-summer sun on their faces and bare chests. "_Lord Herne, Lady Donn, it is an honor to be here_," he greeted them softly and knelt awkwardly on one knee, overwhelmed to be in their presence.

"_Well met, child_," the Bright Lady replied, nodding regally to Gavin. "_Are you both well? I understand you are confused, but in time, all will be made clear to you_."

Harry dropped to one knee as Gavin had, even though he was totally at a loss as to what was happening and frightened to be in the presence of such power. Gavin reached for his hand and held it, both trembling as they waited for an explanation.

"_You have asked us to help you, and in return you both have taken an oath, a pledge, to serve us_," Lord Herne said suddenly, his voice low and smooth, making both boys think of dark forests and hidden places. "_We don't usually interfere with the lives of mortals, but both of you have destiny's you must fulfill or all will be lost. The fate of two worlds depends on you_." He looked at them for a long moment, seeing the confusion and rising fear in their eyes. "_Do not fear us, we have called you here to speak of your future and to give you aid so you might achieve what you must if your worlds are to survive_."

"_We have decided to grant you your wish, and when you leave here you will indeed be brothers. In addition, we have gifts for you that will aid you along the path you must walk_." The Lady rose from her throne and approached the boys, stopping when she stood several feet in front of Harry. "_You need to choose, however, which of us you will serve_."

Harry's eyes widened as Lord Herne also rose from his seat and stepped forward to stand at a like distance in front of Gavin. "_Choose child, whose path you will walk_."

Gavin looked for a moment into the Dark Lords eyes, and then bowed slightly, turned to the Lady and met her eyes with a smile. "_I choose your path Bright Lady. I have _seen_ myself wearing your sign, using your powers to heal_." He rose and moved to stand in front of the Goddess. "_I am yours Lady_."

Donn reached a slender hand out and stroked Gavin's hair back behind his ear, then cupped his cheeks as she looked deeply into his emerald eyes. "_You will be powerful and wise, and you'll do many wonderful things before you return to the Wheel. Yes, you are indeed worthy of my attention_." She knelt and pulled Gavin closer, bending to kiss his temples gently.

Harry understood now as he remembered what Awel had said about Choosing their Way, and he lifted his eyes to meet the Lady's as she knelt with Gavin. They matched gazes for several long moments before Harry turned his eyes up to meet the Lords. He looked deep into the dark eyes for a long while before he rose, and walked shakily to stand in front of the Horned God. "_I don't understand why you would want me, but I see myself with a sword and shield, protecting those who cannot fight for themselves. I wish to serve you Lord_."

Herne knelt and pulled Harry gently against him, holding him within his strong arms in a comforting way until the boy stopped shaking, then he bent and gently kissed him on both of his temples. "_I am proud of you child, you have already overcome so much, and your life is just beginning. Believe in yourself, your heart is strong and you will bring great honor to my name_." He looked at Harry for a long moment, his gaze lingering on the scar on the boy's forehead. "_I think that this abomination needs to be removed. I can feel the evil in it, and it will cause you nothing but pain if it remains_." He reached out and touched Harry's forehead gently, brushing his fingers across the scar. Harry's forehead was unmarked when he removed his hand. "_Ah yes, much better_."

Lord Herne stood, and Harry stepped back, waiting to see what would happen now. The Horned God took his seat and placed the sword tip down on the floor in front of him, leaning forward slightly with his hands on the pommel as he watched the two children.

Gavin reached out and took Harry's hand as the Lady stood, and watched as she returned to her throne as well, leaning her staff against the side of her chair. He noticed with wonder that there was a black rune on each of Harry's temples, the mark of the Hunter on his right, and on his left a rune formed of three connected spirals.

Harry looked at Gavin and noticed with wonder that he had the Lady's rune on his right temple, like the one Awel had, although Gavin's was black, and the three black spirals on his left.

"_We will visit your dreams at times, to teach you things you will need to know for the tasks ahead. Be well young ones_," the Bright Lady smiled warmly at both boys. "_Harry, you may not be mine, but I will still watch over you,_" she added gently.

"_We will return you to your world now, but we will not be far_." Herne gazed at Harry for a long moment, and then smiled slightly, his eyes glinting mischievously. "_You may call upon us if you have need_." Sudden darkness swept over the boys and all went black.

* * *

"_What has happened Myrddin_!" Naf Ianwdd called anxiously, catching the mage's arm as he attempted to move past the councilor towards the pathway back to the village. 

"_I don't know, but the power surge came from the other side of the grove_," Myrddin answered. "_I'll go check it out_." He looked around, suddenly realizing he hadn't seen Gavin or Harry since before the solstice ceremony had started. He reached out and grabbed Awel by the shoulder as the healer moved past him with the intent of returning to the Healing Hall ahead of any injured. "_Have you seen the boys? I haven't seen them since we left the village_!"

Awel shook his head, concern clear on his face. "_They aren't here? I thought they were with you! I saw them start down the path, but I was distracted and I don't remember ever seeing them here in the circle. I'm not sure they came, now that I think about it. Maybe they stayed in the village_?"

"_Guards! Some of you go check the World Gate and make sure nothing is amiss with it_," Myrddin called out loudly, raising his voice to be heard over the noise of the uneasy villagers surrounding the altar. The priests were attempting to calm everyone, but many were still feeling the effects of the power surge and their relatives were distraught and they only contributed to the confusion. "_The rest of you help the injured back to the village_!"

Myrddin moved quickly along the pathway towards the village, but hesitated when he came to where the path branched. One path led to the village, the other deeper into the Sacred Grove, towards the Serpent stone. A sinking feeling entered his stomach as he remembered the story he'd read to the boys the day before, the story about blood pledges and miraculous transformations, the story in the book Gavin had been reading the previous afternoon. "_Awel, I have a bad feeling I know where the boys are_…"

"_You don't think they would try_…" Awel said and they exchanged worried glances before turning to run down the pathway leading to the Serpent stone.

The Serpent stone was still glowing blue slightly, the oak trees around the outside of the clearing casting shadows onto the path, when Myrddin and Awel reached it. Gavin was lying on his side beside the stone, his hands tucked under his cheek, a slight smile on his face, as if he were merely asleep. Myrddin pulled out his wand and cast several diagnostic spells, relieved when they showed that other than his magical levels being low, nothing was wrong with his grandson. They didn't see Harry immediately because he was on the far side of the stone, but when they did find him he was laying on his back, his arms spread out from his sides, a peaceful expression on his face.

Awel dropped to his knees beside Harry, running his hand down the boy's body as he cast a diagnostic spell. "_Goddess_," Awel murmured. "_Do you see it_?" He shook his head with wonder as he ran more tests on the unconscious boy. "_He's healed! All the damage to his body is gone, not just the newest injuries but all the damage, even the scars. It's as if he'd never been abused…the effects of the malnutrition are gone as well. He must have grown four or five inches and he's gained weight too_!"

Myrddin was silent as he joined Awel, Gavin cradled in his arms. His eyes were on Harry's face, or more specifically, the marks on his temples. "_Awel…look_," he said softly, reaching out to brush the hair back and reveal the runes. "_Have you seen this before_?" He pointed at the spirals on Harry left temple. "_Gavin is marked as well_."

"_How is this possible_," the healer lightly rubbed the Hunter's rune on Harry's temple to see if it would come off. "It's _real. I don't understand…but we need to have the high priest look at this, just as soon as the solstice ritual is completed_." He carefully slid his hands under Harry's shoulders and knees and gently picked him up, wrapping his cloak around the boy as he settled him in his arms. "_Let's get them to the Healing Hall. It's too cold for them out here_."

* * *

"_Naf Dylluan, thank you for coming_." Myrddin stood to greet the High Priest, and beckoned him over to where Gavin and Hari were sleeping. "_Did Awel explain why we called for you_?" 

"_Yes, he told me about the strange runes on the boys, but I need to see them myself before I come to any conclusions_." The High Priest sat down in a chair next to the bed Harry was laid on and bent forward to look at the boy. "_So, these children were the cause of the magical explosion we all felt_?"

Myrddin nodded agreement. "_It seems so, we haven't found any other possible cause, and the Serpent stone was still glowing when we reached them_." He handed the priest a scrap of parchment. "_I found this in Gavin's pocket and I think this is what they pledged_."

Dylluan read the parchment and sat silent for several minutes, then reached out and gently brushed the dark hair off Harry's forehead, revealing the spirals. "_Ah…it is as I thought. There hasn't been one with these marks for over 1000 years_," the priest said quietly.

"_So, you know what it means? Do you know why two children would be marked with the runes of priesthood_?" Awel asked quietly. "_I didn't even think it was possible, I mean who marked them_?"

"_The spiral rune…it is a mark of favor_." The priest gently turned Harry's head so he could examine the Hunter's marking on the other temple. "_As to who put it there…that would be the Lord and Lady_." Myrddin and Awel gave him a confused look, leading him to explain further.

"_A person marked with this symbol can call on the Lord or Lady for assistance, and be assured of an answer. The last one so marked was Anynnawg, over 1000 years ago. He saved our people from the Darkness of his time, and lost his life doing so_." Dylluan sat back in his chair with a sigh. "_The_ _spirals represent our connection with the eternal cycle of life, the Goddess in all her forms, as Maiden, Mother and Crone, and the Horned God as the bringer of life, and lord of death and resurrection. It is the olwyno, the sacred Wheel_."

Awel and Myrddin sat down on the side of the empty bed beside Gavin's, their eyes wide in shock. "_Exactly what will this mean for the boys_," Myrddin asked finally, still trying to grasp the implications.

"_Well, it certainly means that young Harry will be staying here_," Dylluan said with a smile. "Irregardless _of the fact that they were likely granted their initial request, to be made brothers, they are now Avatars of the Lord and Lady, so they will need special training to face the trials they will likely meet_."

Myrddin sighed and rubbed his hands over his face wearily. "I_ guess this answers the question about the prophesy_."

Dylluan nodded in agreement. "_Yes, I believe Harry is the Dragon, and so does the Seer's Circle. They met this afternoon and confirmed it_."

"_So…there was no need for the boys to perform such a dangerous ritual_…," Awel murmured sadly.

"_On the contrary! It was entirely necessary, since the prophecy says they needed to be joined in this way, even if it has left us a few problems to deal with_." The High Priest smiled and let out a pleased chuckle. "After _all, how often am I called upon to train four year old priests who are also the Lord and Lady's Avatars_?"

Dylluan stood and straightened his robe. "_I'm going back to the celebration. There are a lot of people wanting an explanation for what happened tonight, and I am going to take great pleasure in telling a few of them_!" He winked at Myrddin, letting him know that one of those people was a certain Councilor who had objected to Hari so stridently.

* * *


	7. The Name is the Essence

AN- _All conversations in italics are in Elvish_.

* * *

PHOENIX and DRAGON: Through the World Gate

Chapter 7

Harry woke to the sound of nearby voices and slowly opened his eyes, closing them immediately when the early morning light streaming through the eastern windows of the Healing Hall hit them. His entire body ached, and his head felt different. The slight feeling of wrongness that he had always known was gone, to be replaced with a sense of comfort – as if someone were standing behind him with a reassuring hand on his shoulder, there to help if he needed them. It was an odd feeling, but one he felt he could get used to. Memories of the previous night slowly filtered back into his mind and his eyes snapped opened suddenly in shock.

"_Harry? Are you awake_?"

Harry rolled quickly to see a sleepy looking Gavin in the bed next to him. "_Gavin! Did it really happen? Did it work_?"

Gavin stared at the other boy, a wide smile on his lips. "_You have ears like mine now, and your eyes changed too_!" Harry reached up and felt his ear, finding it delicately pointed instead of round. A wide grin flashed across his face before he was surprised by an unfamiliar elf sitting down between the beds.

"_I understand you two had an interesting evening_," High Priest Dylluan commented. "I'd _be interested in hearing about it if you would be so kind as to tell me_?" He was quite interested in finding out how two children just a few months past their fourth year, had managed to complete such a powerful ritual.

Both Gavin and Harry squirmed a bit under his calm gaze. Gavin knew that what they'd done was dangerous and forbidden and he expected the priest to be displeased with them, Harry just expected to be punished so he cringed back when the elf reached towards him unexpectedly.

Dylluan stopped his hand just short of Harry's shoulder, which he'd intended to pat encouragingly, and moved it slowly to stroke his cheek instead. "_No-one here will harm you child_," he said in a soothing tone of voice. "_You have done something unexpected, but no-one is angry with you. Can you tell me what happened_?" Harry and Gavin exchanged looks, and then Gavin slowly explained what had happened at the Serpent stone. He attempted to tell about the strange dream afterwards, but found he was unable to talk about it except in the vaguest of terms. Harry also found he could not speak about the time they'd spent with the Lord and Lady, except to say they had chosen the Way they would follow, and then woke up in the Healing Hall.

Awel eventually intervened when the boys started to tire and insisted both eat breakfast, but then despite their protests that they felt fine, he made them drink an awful tasting potion so they would sleep again. He promised they would be able to leave when they woke next.

* * *

Representatives from the nearby Ashwood and Lindenwood Groves had entered the Oakwood Grove soon after dawn, demanding an explanation for what had caused the previous nights disturbance. Soon after, a group of Centaurs had arrived, followed by some goblins. The star gazers had been satisfied by a retelling of what had occurred and left soon after, relieved that the boy's new status was not something that would directly affect their people, but troubled by what their presence could mean for the future. The last war between the forces of Light and Dark was not far from their memories, and none on the side of Light desired another conflict. 

Once again, the Council chamber was filled with argument, only this time it was about where Harry would stay, not about sending him back; the leaders of the Council were having to insist that Harry and Gavin would remain in Oakwood, and would not be sent to another Grove for training by those who considered themselves more _qualified _to do so.

The High Priests of the neighboring Groves, which were both much larger than Oakwood, then insisted on visiting the boys in the Healing Hall, intent on convincing them to agree to training under their guidance.

"_No, absolutely not_!" Awel thundered, slapping the table to draw everyone's attention. "_The boys are not to be bothered. They are sleeping, and will not be disturbed by this nonsense_!"

Myrddin stood as well, his eyes hard and a frown on his face. "_Gavin is my grandson and as Harry is now his twin, by blood as well as by magic, he is also my grandson. _Neither_ one will be going _anywhere!"

A clamor broke out as everyone attempted to make their views known at the same time, and thus, nobody's was heard.

Meanwhile, Harry and Gavin had awoken, and taking Awel at his word they quietly left the Healing Hall and returned to Myrddin's house, intent on finding out what changes their ritual had made to their bodies.

"_Harry, what's wrong_," Gavin asked quietly as he saw the troubled expression on Harry's face. "_I think you look good_!"

They were both standing in front of a full length mirror in Myrddin's bedroom, examining their new appearances. Gavin had found several small differences; his ears were slightly less pointed, and his eyes were a bit darker green, but it was Harry who had truly been transformed. Harry had grown nearly five inches and now stood even with Gavin, and while he was still a bit underweight, it was not so much as before. In addition, his ears were pointed, his face was a bit more slender, and his eyes now had the gold rim around the iris like Gavin's, making them nearly identical in appearance. Strangest to Harry however, was his smooth and unscarred forehead.

"_It's Harry, that's what's wrong_," Harry said quietly. Gavin looked confused. Harry was Harry, wasn't he? After all, that was his name.

"_I mean, I've changed. I don't feel like Harry anymore… Harry lived with the Dursleys and I'm never going back there. I want to leave everything that happened to me there…well…there, even my old name_," Harry explained haltingly. "_Can I get a new name_?"

"_I think so, since you're my brother now you would have a new last name, so we could give you a new first name too_!" Gavin said, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "_Grandfather has a book of names we can look at_!"

Several hours later, Myrddin and Awel returned to the Healing Hall to find the boys gone, and immediately started searching for them. A quick location spell however, sent them to his house.

"_I thought you were supposed to stay in the Healing Hall_," Myrddin said sternly when they finally found the boys in Gavin's bedroom with several books open on the bed. He was worn out from many hours worth of argument and a bit short tempered.

Both boys ducked their heads guiltily, knowing that Awel had not meant them to take his words so literally; he would have wanted them to wait for him to release them before leaving. "_No, Grandfather_," Gavin said, putting an innocent expression on his face. "_Healer Awel said we could leave when we woke up, and nobody was around when we woke up so we just came home_."

Awel sighed, knowing that they could not be punished for leaving the Healing Hall since he had indeed said they could leave when they awoke, and ran a quick diagnostic on both boys and cautioned them to take it easy for a few days before quietly leaving.

"_Can I ask you something sir_?" Harry asked Myrddin softly, his eyes downcast, ready for disappointment in case he was refused. "_Could I have a new name_?"

Myrddin was surprised at Harry's request, but took time to think about it before replying. Names were very important to the elves; they were a part of a person's magic, a part of their very essence. Even in marriage an Elvin woman kept her name, simply adding her husband's name and clan to hers. Sometimes however, a person changed so drastically, due to a traumatic experience usually, that their previous name no longer fit them and they chose a new one.

"_You no longer feel like Harry_?" Myrddin asked slowly, having an idea why the boy was asking. "_You feel you have changed that much_?"

Harry looked up, encouraged that Myrddin hadn't rejected the idea immediately. "_Yes sir. Gavin and I have found one I think will be good. It feels right somehow_."

* * *

The entire village was gathered in the sacred circle, waiting quietly in the pre-dawn darkness. Myrddin and Etain stepped forward, bringing Harry to stand between them in front of the High Priest. 

"_Hail ye Gods and Goddesses, Kinsmen and guests. Here stands before you a child, soon to be one with the Oakwood Clan_," Dylluan declared clearly. "_We gather today to bless this child as he begins a new life in our world. We gather today to name this child that he may begin anew and leave his old life behind. To call a thing by name is to give it power, and so today we shall give this child a gift. We will welcome him into our hearts and lives and bless him with a name of his own_."

Dylluan lifted a silver chalice high, just as the sun broke the horizon and the first rays of the rising sun reflected off the cup towards those gathered. "_We ask the Dark Lord and Bright Lady for protection for this child_." He turned and faced to the south and raised the cup once more. "_We ask the Spirits of Nature for protection for this child_." He turned again and faced west, again raising the cup. "_We ask the Ancestors for protection for this child_." He turned finally and raised the cup facing north. "_We ask the Shinning Ones for protection for this child_."

Turning to face Harry, he placed a drop of the water on Harry's forehead and began the next part of the naming ceremony. "_We call for the blessings of the Lord of the Hunt, and the Lady Mother_," he said as he tipped a few drops of blessed water onto the ground. "_We call for the blessings of the Spirits of Nature_," he continued, letting several more drops fall. "_We call for the blessings of the Ancestors_," he said, adding a few more drops. "_We call for the blessings of the Shinning Ones_." More drops fell to hit the earth, sealing the sacrifice.

Myrddin turned Harry to face him and carefully drew a rune of protection on Harry's forehead with fragrant oil, reciting the next part so all could hear. "_May the gods keep this child pure and perfect, and let anything that is negative stay far beyond his world_."

Etain stepped forward, acting as an unnamed child's mother would normally, and touched a drop of milk and honey to Harry's lips, saying the next lines as she did so. "_May you always have good fortune, may you always have good health, may you always be joyful, and may you always have love in your heart_."

Dylluan waited until Etain stepped back and then continued. "_In the sight of the Lord and the Lady, you are now to be known to the gods and to us as Gwydion Aneirin Crochenydd ab Emrys, perthyn i Ysgawen a Dar. This is your name, and it is powerful. Bear your name with honor, and may the gods bless you on this and every day. From this day forth you are a part of Oakwood Clan_." Dylluan carefully slipped a silver chain over Gwydion's head. On the chain was a small silver oak leaf, of the same type as the sacred tree growing in the altar, the symbol of his new clan. "_This I declare before the Well, the Tree, and the Fire_."

"_Welcome, Gwydion Aneirin Crochenydd ab Emrys, to our clan and to our hearts. We ask the Gods to watch over you, and we wish your family love and light_," all those gathered responded with smiles on their faces.

As the final part of the naming ceremony, the cup of blessed water was passed clockwise around the circle, Myrddin and Etain walking with it, Gwydion and Gavin close by their side. As each of the gathered took a sip, they raised the cup in honor of their new clan member, saying simply: "_I honor you, Gwydion Aneirin Crochenydd ab Emrys! Blessings upon you on this day_!"

Gwydion Aneirin Crochenydd ab Emrys, Harry James Potter no longer, was so happy his heart felt too big for his chest. It was real, he had a family at last – he was home.

* * *

AN – The last part of Harry's new name is basically a description of his new family: "Crochenydd" is Potter, "ab Emrys" is the son of Emrys and "perthyn i Ysgawen a Dar" means roughly, "belonging to" or "of the" Elder and Oak. 

Again, apologies to anyone who actually speaks the language I'm likely screwing totally up!


	8. When It Just Keeps Getting Worse

AN - Some revenge is gotten in this chapter!

_All conversations in italics are in Elvish._

* * *

PHOENIX and DRAGON: Through the World Gate

Chapter 8

The lights on the two police cars and large police van reflected off the spotless windows of number 4 Privet drive, giving an almost festive look to the proceedings. Neighbors stood in watchful groups as a social worker with Child Protective Services carried a shrieking Dudley Dursley out of the house and deposited him in a car seat in the back of a tan sedan, struggling for several minutes to strap him in securely as the four and a half year old kept kicking and biting her in a fit of temper. Dudley's screams increased in volume, if that was physically possible, when three policemen dragged a handcuffed and enraged Vernon Dursley out of the house and pushed him struggling and cursing through the open doors of the van, not caring if he was injured in the process. Another policeman soon followed with a petulant Petunia Dursley and placed her in the back of one of the police cars, slamming the door and locking her in with an expression of distaste on his face.

A police forensic specialist in a white overall emerged a moment later with a large box containing numerous plastic bags of evidence, mostly gathered from a certain cupboard under the stairs. Flashes of light from inside the house gave evidence that the photographer was still documenting the crime scene.

Arabella Figg smirked slightly with satisfaction as she watched from across the street, a large cat with intelligent eyes cradled in her arms. Minerva was going to be so pleased when she told her about this evenings events.

* * *

"Do any of you have anything else to add to Moody's report," Dumbledore asked, gazing around at the people gathered in the headmaster's office at Hogwarts. His question was met by discouraged head shakes and worried looks from most of the order members. Harry had been missing for five days now, and despite the efforts of all the remaining members of the Order of the Phoenix and half the aurors from the Ministry of Magic, there had been no trace of him. 

He sighed and sat down wearily in his chair with no trace of twinkle in his eyes, more concerned about the missing boy than he let on. There were too many plans depending on Harry Potter to just let him disappear without a trace. "Kingsley, did you follow up on the report from Berkshire?"

Kingsley nodded glumly. He'd spent most of the day following up on a report from an elderly wizard living there, only to find out the child the man had seen looked nothing like the Potter boy. This had been only one of a great many Harry Potter sightings since the Daily Prophet had somehow gotten wind of disappearance of the Boy-Who-Lived and put the news on the front page of the paper. With the number of people involved in the search, it had only been a matter of time before the news leaked.

Dumbledore was at a loss. An Unspeakable from the Department of Mysteries had spent over an hour yesterday running tests on the strange magical traces left in the cupboard at the Dursleys, but the cloaked wizard had apparated away without answering any of Dumbledore's questions. Now none of his contacts within the department would answer his owls. Tracing whoever had used the odd magic had been one of his last hopes because none of the tracking spells he'd put on the boy when he'd dropped him off at the Dursleys were working. All of the delicate magical devices he'd set to monitor Harry were useless, even the illegal ones he'd tied to the boys blood and magical signature. They had been working, more or less anyway, after the wards fell on October 28th, even if each one pointed that Harry could be found in a different direction. Then yesterday they had started spinning uncontrollably, and now they all acted as if Harry were everywhere, and nowhere, at the same time. There was still some hope of finding the boy at least, because the one set to monitor his life force was still working correctly and it showed that Harry was still alive.

Dumbledore looked around the room again and noticed that Minerva McGonagall was glaring at him again, as she had at every meeting since Harry was discovered missing. She was furious with him since she'd found out how Harry's relatives had mistreated him, and she had nearly destroyed his office trying to hex him when she discovered he'd _known_ about it and had done nothing. She didn't understand how important it was, for the greater good of course, that Harry was timid and biddable, kept ignorant of the wizarding world so he, Albus Dumbledore, greatest wizard of the modern age, could guide him to his ultimate destiny.

"You are dismissed," Dumbledore stated wearily, releasing the order members. "Get some rest; we will begin searching again in the morning." It was after midnight, and it was obviously a waste of time to keep everyone any longer.

* * *

A large tawny owl tapped gently on the window of a small unplottable country manor, located somewhere near the Gwydir Forest of Northern Wales. A tall man with shoulder length silver hair, pulled back with a silver clip, set his tea cup down on a side table and rose from his comfortable wing chair, opening the window to allow the owl inside. "_Come in, come in_!" He stepped aside as the owl flew to land on the back of a black leather couch set facing a tall white marble fireplace. "_What have you here, Mercury_?" The owl held out its leg so the man could remove the rolled parchment. "_Ah, this is interesting_," he murmured as he sat back down and quickly read the missive, his dark blue eyes loosing their humorous twinkle as he understood the contents. "_Perenelle! Could you come here please_?" 

"_What is it dear_?" A slender green eyed woman with a braid of pure white hair falling down nearly to her knees entered from the hallway, carrying a plate of raspberry scones. She set them down beside her husband's tea and seated herself gracefully beside him in a second wing chair, carefully pouring tea into her own cup and adding milk and sugar.

"_It's a note from Cyrus_." Nicolas explained as he set the letter down on his lap and stroked his short grey beard pensively. "_It seems someone has been meddling with the mortals, and they certainly picked an important one_!" He frowned as he thought through the implications of what had happened in the last few days. "_The child the wizards call The Boy-Who-Lived has been taken from his relative's home and Cyrus thinks it was by one of our kind. He says the Ministry is like an ant hill someone has stirred with a stick. It's lucky it was Cyrus who was sent to investigate; he says he was able to erase the traces of Cymraeg magic before anyone else was able to identify it_."

"_I can imagine how much trouble this is causing_." Perenelle set her tea down gently on the table and reached for the letter, taking a moment to read it through before she commented. "_From what Cyrus has written about the child's caretakers, whoever took him probably saved his life, especially if it is as he thinks, and it was the iachau spell that was cast. That is an extremely strong healing spell and it takes considerable power to cast; it isn't used unless there is a serious or near critical injury_." She tapped the parchment absently as she thought. "_Intervention may have been justified, but nevertheless, this may cause some serious problems for us. How is Albus taking this? I understand he is the one who placed the child with his muggle relatives_?"

"_I would imagine he is not taking it at all well. I believe he had plans of some sort involving the child, and he's never liked loosing control of his chess pieces_." Perenelle smirked at that comment, knowing how much trouble her husband had had with Albus's attempts to manipulate him when the young wizard was apprenticed with him to research the uses of dragon's blood, so many years ago.

Nicolas looked up as the owl hooted softly. "_Oh, are you waiting for a reply_?" The owl bobbed its head in agreement and shook itself, settling its feathers as it waited patiently. He rose to retrieve a piece of parchment and quill from a secretary desk set against the wall by the entry and began to write his reply. "_I'll tell Cyrus I'm sending this on to the High Council and ask him to send me another letter if he hears anything more_."

"_Things should get pretty interesting when they get your letter_," Perenelle said serenely. She thought the High Council needed shook up occasionally, and this news would certainly do that.

* * *

"The paperwork never ends," Dumbledore thought with frustration, still tired after only a few hours of restless sleep. It was barely dawn, and he had already been up for an hour. He was trying to catch up on the thick pile of parchment he'd put off handling while leading the search for Harry. "The most important child in the wizarding world is missing, and the Board of Governors still wants the budget report." He sighed as he dropped his quill and reached for another lemon drop from the bowl on his desk. He'd just put it in his mouth and rolled it into his cheek to suck on when one of the devices on his desk began to vibrate violently, then suddenly cracked in half, releasing a small cloud of acrid smoke. 

It was the one that tracked Harry's life force, and it had just stopped working.


	9. Learning Curve

AN: _All conversations in italics are in Elvish!_ I swear, they really are! Those that are underlined are in Centaur!

* * *

PHOENIX and DRAGON: Through the World Gate 

Chapter 9

It was a week after the naming ceremony and Gavin and Gwydion's magic reserves had finally been judged recovered enough to begin their training. Myrddin had led them to a small meadow a short ways into the sacred grove. Several slabs of rock were lying scattered on the ground, providing comfortable seats that were handy for meditation.

He was intending to see how well the boys were going to be connected to their magic, which would determine how powerful they would eventually be, but he had to teach them to reach their cores first. The elderly priest who had assisted at the interrupted solstice celebration, Gwydion had learned that his name was Drysi, was already sitting on another of the rocks when they arrived. He puffed lazily on the long stem of the carved pipe he was smoking and waved genially as they entered the clearing then went back to contemplating the clouds.

"_Alright, take a seat and get comfortable_." Myrddin settled cross legged on one of the slabs, but both boys chose to sit on the soft dry grass. "_Close your eyes and just let your mind drift. Try not to think about anything, just listen to the wind in the trees. I want you to be totally relaxed with your mind clear of all thoughts_." He concentrated a moment and focused to allow himself to see auras in order to monitor the boy's progress. This ability was called mage sight and it was a common ability among the elves. As a half-elf it took a little bit of effort for Myrddin to activate it, but in compensation he had gained several abilities from the human half of his heritage a full elf wouldn't have.

Myrddin was prepared to sit for most of the morning, and many mornings to come, while they worked on this since it was unlikely two four year olds would be able to totally clear their minds on the first attempt, in fact it was rare for a child this young to succeed on even the fourth or fifth, so he was really surprised when it only took a few minutes for both boys to reach the proper state.

The boy's chaotic aura's smoothed out and the multi colored flares and random changes in size and density that normally surrounded someone untrained disappeared, to be replaced by ones with a single color and only occasional fluctuations in the size and intensity. They were still slightly opaque, which was normal for this stage in the process. Gavin's, while still somewhat wispy around the edges, was the clear deep blue of an autumn sky, with tinges of a deeper green around the edge. Gwydion's was a green the exact shade of an oak leaf with a slightly brighter blue on the edge, the nearly the opposite of Gavin's. Most people's auras were of the red or orange spectrum, so the boy's came as a bit of a surprise to the mage.

"_You are doing very well…now I want you to try and look inwards, keeping the same feeling of calm you have now. You will see a bright ball of colored light. Once you see it, I want you to touch it - don't be afraid, it is a part of your own magic, it won't hurt you_."

'Well that isn't exactly true,' Myrddin thought to himself. 'If someone enters their core and panics its possible for them to be forcibly expelled, resulting in a great deal of pain as the uncontrolled magic rebounds through their undeveloped power channels.' Myrddin knew that telling someone this as they were attempting to access their core for the first time, however, was a sure way to make them tense up, making it much harder to reach their core, and sometimes causing the very effect they were trying to avoid.

He watched the boy's aura's carefully as they began to try to locate their cores, and wasn't surprised to see both flare violently as they lost focus and fell out of the meditative state. He'd been surprised they had achieved that much in the first place. To his astonishment however, they almost immediately regained their focus, and several minutes later he saw a sudden, nearly blinding, flare in both their aura's as they doubled in size for a moment then sank back to their previous levels. The random changes were completely gone, the edge much better defined and the colors almost totally transparent, meaning they had accessed their cores to the full extent possible and forged the link necessary to use active magic that required the highest levels of power and control.

'How did they do that so quickly?' Myrddin thought, surprised by what the boys had achieved so quickly, but especially Gwydion. It was doubtful he'd had any practice at all in focusing, although Gavin had mentioned Gwydion healing himself in the past.

On the other hand, Gavin had been doing small spells of the lowest level for nearly a year. He'd began teaching his grandson magic earlier than most elflings were taught because Gavin's power levels had been judged high enough to learn without damaging his development, mostly spells used for healing minor wounds and bruises. That type magic was barely considered a spell because the words were only to aid in focusing ones own natural healing abilities. It was considered passive magic as it only needed intent to work, and didn't require access to a person's core.

It was the two's power levels he was really surprised by though; most people were unable to fully access their cores, let alone on the first attempt, and never at so young an age.

'They're already at the power level of children twice their age.' Myrddin thought in surprise, but he didn't allow any of it to show on his face, just took a deep breath and ran through a quick meditative technique to clear his mind. 'Teaching them is going to be interesting.' He kept his voice soft and soothing as he explained the next step.

"_Good. Now I want you to let go of the ball and slowly drift back until you can hear the wind again_." The boys seemed to struggle for a moment and their aura's sparked and flared as they left the meditative state and their attention returned to the meadow.

Myrddin was amazed and proud of his grandsons. 'It will take several sessions of accessing their cores before their aura's will stabilize and remain calm, but they've made surprising progress for being so young.'

"_You've done very well for your first try. That will be enough for today._" He watched as the boys opened their eyes and slowly refocused on their surroundings, wide grins on their faces from his praise. "_Run and play, and we'll meet here again tomorrow morning directly after breakfast_." The boys immediately jumped up, running back down the path to the village, laughing and pushing each other as they went.

Drysi slowly rose from the rock he'd been sitting on and stretched for a moment to relieve a crick in his back before moving to sit beside Myrddin. "_Was that their first meditation exercise_?"

Myrddin nodded, deep in thought. "_I think they might have done something like it on their own, since Gavin says they have had a dream connection for years and sharing one with the detail he says theirs has requires quite a bit of focus. I know it was the first time they've reached their cores; the change in their auras was clear_."

"_Interesting_," the old priest muttered to himself. "_I don't think I've seen such bright and defined auras in children so young…and for them to reach their cores on the first try…it is going to be interesting to teach them_." Myrddin nodded glumly, agreeing with his friend.

"_Do you think we're going to have problems later, when their power starts increasing_?" Drysi asked. "_I'm a bit worried that we might have to ask for someone from the other Groves to help train the boys_." This was something nobody wanted, since they'd just raised such vehement objections to any outsiders being involved. Myrddin sighed and nodded again; he'd come to the same conclusion.

"_If we're lucky we won't reach that point until they've reached their passage, but somehow I doubt that's going to be the case_." Myrddin unfolded his legs and stood, offering Drysi a hand up, and then walked slowly towards the village with his old friend.

"_I'm sure you'll be able to handle their magical training; you're the most powerful mage that I know of_," the old priest said reassuringly to Myrddin, meanwhile thinking about how this would affect the training the boy's required for the rituals they had to know as priests. Normally this training didn't start until a child reached his passage year and chose his or her Way, but that clearly wasn't an issue here since the Lord and Lady had already made their choice clear to all. 'Dylluan is going to have to know about this,' Drysi thought silently. 'I just hope he's powerful enough to handle any mistakes the boys make.'

Sometime later, Dylluan was sitting in Myrddin's study, enjoying an after dinner glass of clear golden wine, a product of Oakwood's own grapes. He was watching his friend intently, knowing Myrddin had something to say and suspecting he wasn't going to like it from the mage's expression.

"_Why don't you just tell me what has been bothering you all evening_?"

Myrddin nodded wearily as he reached to refill his guest's glass and watched as the priest raised it to drink before beginning.

"_Both the boys fully accessed their cores on their first try this morning, and they're already nearly twice the power level normal for their age_," Myrddin said bluntly, catching Dylluan mid swallow and causing him to choke on the wine.

Dylluan sat silent for a while after he recovered; his expression serious as he thought about the latest development. "_You're half human…what can you tell me about wizarding kinds power development? I know it's different_." The priest knew little about how a wizard's powers developed, since very few humans had ever intermarried with elves and Myrddin hadn't joined Oakwood Grove until he was in his mid thirties. Since the boys were technically half human after the blood bond, he wasn't sure how it might affect their magical growth.

"_An elfling's magical core will normally increase in size rapidly as they mature physically, and they grow at a faster rate than human children. Their cores will stabilize enough to start learning the more advanced spells at about 6 years old, and they normally have enough control at age 11 for them to use whatever magics their power levels allow, although their levels will continue to increase very slowly until they are considered full adults at age 16_," Myrddin began, explaining what Dylluan already knew so he would understood the differences between the races. "_The color and intensity of a person's aura usually indicates the overall power level and the degree of control the individual has over their magical core_. _This is how we determine when a child is ready for the next stage in their training_."

Dylluan nodded his agreement. "_Elflings learn to control their powers very early in their training, at around 4 or 5 depending on the growth of their cores, so more time can be spent on learning magic and less on refining control_."

Myrddin took a sip of his wine and ran his fingers through his hair as he thought. "_In contrast, although a human magic user also grows in power as he matures physically, it is at a slower rate than elflings. They are not normally capable of learning control over their magics until they are 11 or 12, which is when they normally get their magical focus - a wand usually - because their magical core is too chaotic until then. An 11 year old human's magic levels are comparable to a 7 or 8 year old elf childs, and their core usually grows by sudden flares and surges of power that cause episodes of accidental magic discharge. Unfortunately, at a time when they've barely gotten control of their magic, the human child will experience a second, usually very abrupt, growth in his magical core when he reaches the age of 17, the age a wizard born is considered adult."_

Dylluan shook his head sadly._ "Its no wonder they need a focus to use magic, their magical cores are in constant flux."_

_"Sometimes hidden abilities follow certain bloodlines, and they are normally released at that time. I gained the ability to speak to birds, something my father could do as well,_" Myrddin continued. "_I don't know how this will affect Gavin and Gwydion, since we know so little about Gwydion's human parents_."

The discussion that followed lasted long into the night, but a training plan for the boys had been decided before Dylluan left.

Gavin and Gwydion returned to the meadow with their grandfather every morning after that to meditate. By the time it had gotten too cold and rainy to be outside they had progressed past clearing their minds and accessing their cores, to organizing their thoughts and building barriers against outside intrusions. Myrddin said this technique was called occlumency by the wizards, and learning it was necessary for them to have the mental focus be able to access their cores with enough control to learn higher level magic.

They worked on occlumency and its opposite, legillimency, all through the winter and by early spring both were good enough at detecting and blocking intrusion to be safe from all but the strongest probes. Time and practice was the only thing that would make them better. Myrddin also began teaching them basic magical theory and simple magic using runes.

"_I understand you've gotten pretty good with guarding your minds_!" Dylluan said happily a short time before the spring solstice. "_We're going to start having story time every day after you practice that, since its so rainy outside_!" The twins were ecstatic, since both loved to be read to, and so daily instruction in Elven history, which included many stories and legends about the Gods and Goddesses, reading and using runes, the beginnings of arithmancy, writing practice, and more advanced magical theory was added to their lessons. They both soaked up the information like sponges, to Dylluan and Myrddin's delight.

Spring came with its warmer weather and when the trees leafed out Myrddin took them to visit the nearby centaur village in order for them to start learning the stargazer's specialties, astronomy and herbology, as well as the basics of their language. They spent the afternoons and early evenings with the centaurs and quickly made friends with the youngest members of the herd.

Summer brought additional lessons from Awel on identifying and harvesting the medicinal plants growing in the woods and meadows surrounding the village. He also started them on the basics of potion making.

Dylluan began to instruct them in their priestly duties, as time allowed.

"_Yes, now you throw the herbs on the fire_," Dylluan instructed Gavin, having allowed him to assist in a simple house blessing. Gwydion had helped with a purification rite the day before. It was something they took to as easily as breathing. He planned on teaching them all the simpler rituals, so by the time they were old enough to actually participate in one of the main celebrations, such as a solstice, they would know how.

By early summer they had learned the proper ways to honor the various lesser Gods and Goddesses and the nature spirits their people revered, and were able to successfully call their first nature spirits. That had been an interesting day.

"_Gavin, you understand what you need to do_?" Dylluan asked, making sure he remembered the invocation. It went well from there; Gavin managed to call a small earth spirit, which ended up staying for several days before it disappeared. Gwydion was not quite as lucky, the fire spirit he called took offense when he mispronounced a word and disappeared in a puff of smoke. "I_ guess fire just isn't your element child_," Dylluan told the disconsolate child, trying not to smile. "_We'll try again later_."

One thing the High Priest had been surprised to discover was that the twins were in frequent contact with the Lord and Lady, mostly through their dreams. He quickly swore the children to secrecy about this as it would be dangerous for them if word of it reached anyone. Their status as avatars was already spreading, but the exact extent of their powers was better off concealed.

A Council meeting was called soon after the summer solstice to discuss the issue.

"_The Lord and Lady have never before chosen anyone so young_," Dylluan began, standing so he had everyone's attention. "_I feel that the twins are especially vulnerable right now, at least until their year of passage, after which they'll be considered capable of making their own decisions over their lives. Until then, they are in danger if anything happened to their guardians_." He gestured towards Myrddin, Etain and Llygoden. "_Myrddin and Llygoden can take care of themselves mostly_," he paused and looked at Llygoden, "_although as you are Gavin's godfather I'd rather you stopped traveling outside our area_." Llygoden had been Gleis's best friend since infancy, and he was a cousin to Gwynnid. He was the one babysitting Gavin the night they'd been killed.

He continued after Llygoden reluctantly nodded agreement, "…_but I also feel Etain is at risk as long as she's at Elderwood Grove so frequently. I would like if you moved here where we can protect you_."

Etain straightened, and looked like she wanted to say something, but Myrddin put a hand on her arm and she glared at him, but didn't interrupt as Dylluan continued, holding his hands up to reassure her. "_At least until the boys are eleven and have some say in where they live if something happens to any of you?_" The elderly seer started to protest, and Myrddin began whispering into her ear.

"_The Dark is becoming stronger, and while we are normally a peaceful people, there are certain factions within the clans who aren't_…," the priest paused and picked his words carefully, "…_adverse… to taking things into their own hands to get what they want, shall we say_." Several of the older council members frowned as they remembered things that had happened in the past.

"_There have always been inter Grove rivalries, but we all know that power struggles are common during the times Shadow lays over the land, and sometimes they end up in violence_." Everyone nodded in agreement. Currently there were several different factions who would gain greatly if they had control of the boys. Gavin and Gwydion would bring increased prestige and power to whichever Grove or group had them, especially if they could be influenced to act only for their benefit.

Myrddin finally told Etain flat out, "_I think it would be best if you moved here to Oakwood Grove, where we can protect you better, for the boy's sakes if nothing else – they would be devastated if anything happens to you_." He didn't like using emotional blackmail, but if that was what it took to keep her safe…

Etain was eventually persuaded to move, much to the twins delight.

Dylluan's foresight in having the boys conceal their closeness with the Lord and Lady was quickly rewarded. Representatives from the High Council arrived several weeks later, supposedly to negotiate a new trade agreement with the local Centaur herd and the Goblins who lived within the nearby hills, but it soon became clear to everyone that they were actually there to observe Gavin and Gwydion.

"_Myrddin_," Llygoden murmured softly to his friend, turning his head so nobody could see him speak. "_Look towards the fountain and tell me what you see_."

Myrddin turned casually and glanced in that direction for a moment. "_Someone who's paying way too much attention to what the twins are doing_," he answered. "_How long have they been watching_?"

Llygoden shook his head. "_At least since they cast the glamour on each other_."

"_Goddess_," Myrddin sighed. "_There have been too many people taking an interest lately. We're going to have to start training somewhere more secure, at least until they all leave_."

"_I had a man from Elderwood Grove corner me yesterday_," Llygoden admitted. "_He wanted to know all about how the boys were doing at their forest craft. I think he is the one the forest guards spotted lurking around the outskirts of the village last night_." He frowned thoughtfully. "_Several other people have complained to me about similar things. I think its something we need to discuss with the Council_."

The council gathered in their chamber later that same evening, and it seemed everyone had suspicions to share concerning the recent flood of visitors to the Grove.

"_Hem, Hemm_," Naf Ianwdd cleared his throat, trying to attract the attention of the rest of the council. "_Can I have your attention_?" He scowled at those still talking until they quieted. "_I've found out where at least some of our problems are coming from_," he said, waiting until the comments stopped. "_It seems someone of importance living across the World Gate, or at least someone the High Council listens to, wrote a letter to them protesting Harry's removal from his world_." He passed a copy of a letter to the councilor to his left. "I_ managed to get a copy of it from a friend. She didn't know who sent it because the signature was removed before the council handed out the copies, but they seem well informed about what's happening with the wizards. It has quite a bit of information about Harry_," he reddened slightly and bowed towards Myrddin in apology. "_I mean Gwydion, of course…and it explains how he came to be with those wretched people_."

Dylluan read the letter carefully and passed it across the table to Myrddin. They now knew the boy's history, and his significance to the wizarding world, but it made no difference - the children's impetuous solution to the threat of Harry's return had solved more problems than they thought. Harry Potter was now Gwydion Emrys by blood and magic, and he was here to stay, no matter his importance to the wizards.

The weeks preceding the twins fifth birthday passed without incident and Oakwood Grove celebrated their birthday along with the solstice, something everyone enjoyed - especially Gwydion as he'd never had a party, that he could remember anyway. It went a long way towards erasing the bad memories he had of his previous life. The boys were overjoyed when Etain arrived with all her baggage and moved into an empty house directly across the path from Myrddin's.

After this, their training intensified, although the pace with which they were taught remained unknown to outside observers. Myrddin had started bringing the boys to the centaur's part of the forest immediately after breakfast, supposedly for additional herbology lessons and forest craft lessons with Llygoden, but actually to keep their magical training secret.

The High Council representatives left finally, shortly before the end of August, the trade agreements completed and their excuse for lingering gone, though Llygoden reported sightings of strangers periodically through the rest of the summer and early fall. There were frequent visitors from Ashwood and Lindenwood Groves as well, a variation from their normal routine. Oakwood Grove's trade increased, since the visitors needed an excuse to come, but nobody was fooled; it was obvious they were watching the twins.

It came to a head one day when the twins came running to Awel, after being sent to gather gurdyroot to restock the Healing Hall's potion ingredients. "_Awel_!" Gavin called, sounding excited. "_Look what I got_!" He held up a braided leather bracelet to show the healer. Gwydion held his arm up to show that he had one as well. Further questioning brought out the information that a man they'd seen in the village had talked to them for a while, and asked a lot of questions concerning their training, questions the twins had only partially answered for the most part, then had given them the bracelets.

Awel looked at them and then asked to borrow the bracelets for a while. Once the twins left, he carefully cast a detection spell on each of them. The results sent him to find Myrddin. "_They both have a mild compulsion spell on them_," he explained. "_Something similar to a 'trust me' charm_." He handed the bracelets to his friend. "_Gavin says they got them from someone while they were harvesting gurdyroot_."

After that, everyone made it a practice to keep the strangers away from the boys; the only place that was considered safe was in the centaur village, a place where few elves were welcomed. The centaurs discouraged uninvited visitors, sometimes at spear point.

It was the end of September and the leaves were beginning to fall. The twins were in the centaur village as they were most days. Myrddin had left to attend a Council meeting, and Llygoden would be picking the boys up after they had completed their afternoon herbology lessons, something he'd done many times before. The boys had finished their lesson early today and were enjoying a little free time with their friends, playing ball while they waited for Llygoden.

"Rytan! Throw it over here!" A gangly Centaur foal, the same age as the boys but naturally much bigger than them, yelled at his brother for hogging the ball then scrambled to catch it when the older foal deliberately threw it over his head. Newlyn stomped one front foot in frustration before turning to fetch the ball, the chestnut coat of his horse half shining red in the light of the setting sun. "Mother is going to hear about this," he grumbled to himself.

"No fair Rytan! You're supposed to play nice," Gwydion protested as Newlyn threw the ball back to his brother. The older foal had been set to watch the three younger ones, by this time the herd considered the twins part of their herd, as punishment for something he'd done earlier, and he had been behaving badly towards them all afternoon in retaliation. "If you aren't going to play fair then don't play!"

"Fine!" Rytan snorted and turning abruptly he threw the ball into the woods as hard as he could. The ball sailed a long distance through the trees and disappeared from view. "Play by yourselves!" Rytan spun on his haunches and galloped into the woods in the other direction to sulk.

"_Chwith_," Newlyn said with a sigh. "Sorry. I don't know why my brother's in such a bad mood." He walked to the edge of the woods and looked through the trees, hoping to see the ball. "We'd better get the ball and head back; Llygoden is going to be here soon."

The three walked slowly through the woods looking for the ball, and sooner than they expected they reached the river bank. "There it is," Gavin shouted, pointing to where the ball lay on a sandbar at the edge of the river. The only problem was that the riverbank was too steep for them to climb down; there were a number of sharp rocks at the bottom of a long drop. "Let's walk down the river bank until we can get down?"

"The sandbar isn't very long, maybe one of you can climb down here?" Newlyn stepped closer to the edge, intending to look over it for handholds.

"No! Don't go any closer!" Gwydion yelled, noticing how the dirt was crumbling under the foal's weight. The warning was too late though, as the edge gave way and Newlyn tumbled down the bank, bouncing off several protruding rocks before landing on his side at the bottom.

"_Gwydion, run and get help_!" Gavin urged his brother, sliding to his belly to wiggle carefully to the edge and look down at their friend. "_Oh no_…," he moaned when he saw no movement from the young centaur. Blood flowed much too quickly from a cut on the foal's side, and at least one of his legs was clearly broken.

"_NO_!" Gwydion gasped as he slid to the edge beside his brother and got his first look at the crumpled body of their friend. "_It might be too late. Start a signal fire, someone will see it and come_." Gavin wriggled backwards until it was safe to stand and quickly gathered a pile of dry wood from the forest floor. He used his knife to cut some branches off a green shrub, and then concentrated as he pointed two fingers towards the pile.

"_Cynnau_!" Gavin jumped backwards as the pile of wood burst into flame, his fire starting spell working a little better than he'd anticipated, and then quickly threw the green branches onto the fire. A great deal of smoke began rising into the air, carried slightly towards the centaur village by the breeze off the water. "_Cynnwys_!" Gavin shouted again, a spell meant to contain the fire and keep it from spreading into the dry woods. He turned, and gasped when he didn't see Gwydion on the bank.

"_Gwydion! Where are you_!"

"_Down here_," his brother answered faintly. "_I found a way down! Go upstream a little to the dead tree; you can climb down the roots_!" Gwydion answered, sounding distracted. "_Hurry_!"

Gavin quickly found the tree, and was soon at Newlyn's side. "_He's hurt bad, I can hardly feel his pulse_," Gwydion said in a shaky voice.

Gavin quickly cast a diagnostic spell Awel had taught them a few weeks ago and gasped at the results. "_We have to help him, Gwydion. I don't think he's going to last until help gets here_!"

Gwydion frowned, "_We can call the Lord and Lady if we have to, but we'll have to be careful. Llygoden said there were people watching us again_." Gavin nodded unhappily. Myrddin and Dylluan had finally explained what the people watching them wanted, and how much of a threat they were to the twins. They didn't like having to keep their skills secret, but they understood how important it was now.

"_Cast an illusion and make us look like a pile of wood_?" Gwydion nodded at his brother's suggestion and closed his eyes, imagining what he wanted them to look like then spoke the words of a concealment spell similar to a large area glamour, careful to keep the image in his mind as he slowly waved his hand over Gavin and Newlyn. "_Celu rhag tremynt_." The three figures faded from sight, to be replaced by a pile of uninteresting driftwood, similar to every other pile found along the river. He hesitated as he looked at the faint outlines of logs and sticks surrounding them, and then cast a second spell to keep any sounds they made from reaching outside of their illusion and giving them away. "_Cyfrinachol_!" The sound of the nearby river grew slightly muffled, so he knew the spell had worked.

Both boys set to work quickly, casting all the healing spells they knew, one right after another, hoping that spells meant for elves would work on a centaur, since they were resistant to most magics. The blood flow from the gash slowed, and the broken leg seemed to straighten slightly, but another diagnostic spell showed there was still internal bleeding caused by a broken rib that had pierced Newlyn's lung. The foals breathing was growing more labored, and finally it quit altogether.

Gwydion gasped and slumped sideways, bracing himself against Gavin's shoulder, dizzy because his magic reserves were too low from the spells he had cast so quickly. None of the spells the boys had just used were taught until a child had reached at least the age of ten or eleven years, since they required more power to cast than most had available before that; they had learned them by observing Awel in the Healing Hall. "_We're loosing him! We can't do anymore by ourselves; we'll have to ask for help_."

Gavin nodded then quickly closed his eyes and placed his hands on Newlyn's side, covering the large bloody gash. "_Bright Lady, hear my plea! I call for your aid in healing an innocent. I ask for your aid to make his body whole, and heal his wounds that he might live without pain! Grant me the power to heal what is needed. By your grace, let it be as you wish_."

Gwydion placed his hands over Gavin's, his fingers touching the sluggish flow of blood from the centaur foals side, and closed his own eyes to concentrate. "_Lord Herne, hear my plea! I call for your aid for my friend. Turn your gaze aside so he might walk your path in his proper time! Lord of the Hunt grant my plea and aid me in healing him! As you wish so shall it be_."

All sound seemed to disappear, and the boys opened their eyes to see nothing but mist surrounding them. Newlyn lay under their hands on a floor of stone tile, still not breathing; his heart beat merely a flutter under their hands. Gavin and Gwydion turned their heads as the sound of two sets of footsteps came to them. Two figures stepped out of the mist and stood across the centaur's body from them.

"_Does this one truly deserve our aid, little one_?" Herne asked sternly.

Gwydion bowed respectfully from where he knelt, not removing his hands from the foal's side because he knew that what was happening wasn't actually real. Their spirits had gone to another place, pulling the unconscious Newlyn's along with them. If they broke contact they would return to the riverbank and lose all chance of helping their friend. "_Yes, my Lord. He is an innocent. His life has just begun. I ask you to spare him, if it is not his proper time_."

Lord Herne looked at the centaur for a long moment then nodded. "_I shall not call him to join me_." The Horned Lord smiled slightly as Gwydion's face brightened with relief. "_I shall aid you_."

Gavin bowed then, his eyes on his Liege Lady hopefully. "_Lady, I ask as well. Please heal my friend? We have done all we can, and it is not enough_."

Lady Donn smiled down at Gavin. "_You have done well, child. I grant you my aide; your friend will be healed_." Both boys let out a breath in relief, and bowed again in thanks as darkness claimed them.

"_Gavin! Gwydion! Where are you_!" A frantic voice called out from somewhere above the three boys, waking Gwydion. "_I don't see them, but their tracks led here_," Llygoden continued, obviously speaking to a companion. "_Myrddin, check upstream, I'll circle back around in case we missed something_."

"Newlyn! Answer me!" A second voice Gwydion recognized as Newlyn's father bellowed out from further down the river bank.

"_Here! We're here_!" Gwydion called out wearily, not even attempting to sit up; he was barely able to open his eyes, let alone move from where he lay across Newlyn's flank. The little centaur mumbled something about everyone being too loud and asked them to shut up and let him sleep five more minutes.

Gavin lifted his head off Newlyn's shoulder and giggled wearily at the sleepy comment from their friend, then drifted back to sleep, too exhausted to stay awake even if their rescuers had arrived.

Gwydion realized no one could hear them because of the silencing spell, and they were still under the illusion, so he pulled enough power from his nearly empty reserves to cancel the spells he'd cast to hide them. "_Dirymuswyn_!"

Blackness overtook him as he lowered his head onto a warm furred surface.

* * *

AN: Here's a best guess translation for the spells the boys used. 

Cynnau (ignite)

Cynnwys (contain/hold)

Celu rhag tremynt (hide from sight)

Cyfrinachol (secret/private)

Dirymuswyn (cancel/nullify charm)


	10. Alliances of the Heart

AN –All Dumbledore bashing is completely intentional, and will be repeated as needed until he gets the point.

_**Conversations in bold italics are Gobbledygook. **_

_Conversations in italics are Elvish._

* * *

"Good morning, Augusta!" Dumbledore oozed, his eyes twinkling like strobe lights as he attempted to charm the guardian of his last hope to defeat Voldemort. "I hope you are doing well?" He took the hand she held out and bowed over it, after all she was the matriarch of the Longbottoms, an ancient and proud purebred family, and she expected the courtesies to be followed. 

Dumbledore continued to murmur polite nothings as he ushered the elderly lady out of the foyer and into a formal sitting room. He had managed to talk the blasted woman into visiting him at his home in Godric's Hollow, so now all he had to do was convince her that he knew what was best for her grandson.

Augusta Longbottom kept her polite but stern expression on her face with great effort. Dumbledore was hardly her favorite person in the world, but she had accepted his invitation out of curiosity; it was better to know what he was up to than to be blindsided later by some plot he had conceived. She sniffed at his overacting as he led her to an over stuffed chair decorated with large pink antique roses. "Please, take this chair, it is the most comfortable."

"Would you like tea? I have just acquired a delicious blend of Darjeeling," he continued, despite the suspicious looks Augusta was giving him. Dumbledore smiled genially, apparently thrilled with her presence, even as his thoughts ran down a totally different road. 'How am I going to get this old buzzard to agree to my plan? One way or another I must convince her, there is no way around it.' He called a house elf and it appeared with a tea service, setting it on the coffee table. "Would you like milk? Perhaps a lump of sugar? May I temp you with a tea cake?"

Mrs. Longbottom accepted the cup of tea, but set it down on the saucer with a sharp click after the barest sip. "Perhaps you could get to the point Mr. Dumbledore," she said sharply. She knew a con job when she saw one, so she knew he wanted something – more than likely something she had no intention of agreeing to. Too many years of fighting him in the Wizengamot had taught her to be especially wary when the old coot's eyes twinkled like this.

"Perhaps you heard about the Potter boy's disappearance, a little more than a year ago?" Dumbledore decided the soft approach wasn't going to work with the matron, so he'd take a different tack. He put a sad expression on his face, as if he truly regretted what had happened to the blasted boy-who-lived.

"Of course," Augusta agreed. After all, who didn't know the boy had gone missing, given the huge headlines in that disgrace to journalism called the Daily Prophet. "Such a shame. Last of the Potter's I believe?" She kept her face blank as she noted the sudden widening of Dumbledore's eyes, right before they narrowed in realization. He'd forgotten all about the Potter vaults...the _unclaimed _vaults that could be his, if he approached the Goblins in the right mannor...

'The Potter fortune wasn't part of his original scheme, but he's thinking about it now…I wonder how he intends to get his hands on their vaults without the boy? I know he wasn't named as a guardian, come to think of it, how was he allowed to place the boy with those terrible people in the first place? I'll have to get my lawyers to check into this…' Augusta mused, all the while keeping her sharp eyes on Dumbledore. She lifted her teacup to drink and watched as Dumbledore's eyes followed her movement, a satisfied expression on his face.

"Such a shame, indeed," Dumbledore stated solemnly, the twinkle in his eyes dimming at the thought of such a tragic loss of life. 'I do believe the eye twinkle is my best effect,' he gloated. 'Now for the bait…'

"You are aware of what supposedly happened the night the poor child's parents were killed?"

Augusta looked at him for a long moment, seemingly surprised at the direction the conversation had suddenly taken. "I wasn't aware that there was any doubt as to what had happened," she answered.

"Such a sad thing…and then the terrible thing that happened to your son and his wife," Dumbledore continued. "You are aware of the prophecy, of course? The very thing that set all of this in motion…," he trailed off, his twinkle gone once more. He didn't know however, that his eyes actually betrayed him with the cold calculating expression they currently held. "The thing is," he hesitated, wanting Augusta to ask him what he meant so she was drawn into the conversation.

She stared at him for several moments, beginning to understand where he was going with all this. "The thing is…?" she prompted, deciding to go along with his game.

"We all thought that Harry Potter was the child of the prophecy…" Dumbledore said with a sad expression on his face. "The prophecy said that they could only be killed by one another…," he paused and sighed. "The fact is, I have reason to believe that poor Harry is indeed dead…," he hoped she wouldn't ask exactly how he knew, since the way he'd tracked the boy's life force could be considered a dark art, since it used unwillingly taken blood.

"Such a shame, to die at such a young age." Augusta was now certain of what Dumbledore wanted. 'Ah, now I know what he's after…and he isn't going to get it, not if I have anything to say about it,' she thought, barely hiding her rage at the old man's scheming.

"I'm afraid we must have made a mistake interpreting the prophecy, because if Harry is indeed dead, it means contrary to all evidence, he wasn't the child fated to destroy the Dark Lord…and," he paused to gauge her reaction then was forced to continue when all he got was an eyebrow raised in curiosity. "…your grandson Neville is the boy the prophecy spoke about. I'm afraid for his safety so you'll need to let me take charge of him so he can be trained."

Dumbledore was surprised when the elderly lady started laughing at him!

"I suppose you expect me to trust you, and hand my grandson over to you without a thought, don't you?" She chuckled again, enjoying the shock on the old fool's face. "You think I would give you custody of a puffskien after what you did to the Potter boy?" Her face went stern, and she leaned forward suddenly and poked Dumbledore in the chest with a long slender finger. "If you make any attempt to even contact my grandson, I will have you in front of the Wizengamet on charges of kidnapping, child endangerment, and inheritance fraud so quickly your lemon drops will melt."

She sat back with a grim smile on her face as Dumbledore paled slightly. His reaction confirmed her theory that he'd somehow gotten around the Potter's will. She had believed Alice and Frank were named as guardians in case something happened to James and Lilly so she'd been surprised when their son went directly to his muggle relatives. Two days later her son and daughter-in-law were attacked and she'd had too much to think about so the Potter child was forgotten. At the time, there was nothing she could do about it anyway, and later it had been impossible to find him, due to special wards to keep wizards away no doubt. No, it wouldn't have been in Dumbledore's plans for Harry to be raised by someone who would teach him his place in the wizarding world.

"You do realize you are alone in my house, drinking my tea, don't you Madam," Dumbledore snapped once he recovered from his shock at being found out. He wasn't sure why the potion he'd slipped into her tea wasn't working, but there was no way he was going to allow her to leave without agreeing to hand guardianship of Neville over to him. He also decided he would obliviate her, to remove this conversation from her memory.

"You do realize I would hardly walk into your house without taking precautions, don't you?" she countered, her eyes hard. "There is a monitoring charm on me and if anything were to go the slightest bit wrong, something so small as my heart beating too fast, or my breathing rate rising, for example, a number of different people would be notified, and they would all apparate directly here," she smirked, as Dumbledore didn't look as sure of himself as he had before. "And as for the compulsion potion you put in my tea…I received an Outstanding in my potions Newt; it's hardly likely I would miss the taste." She had also left some detailed instructions with her lawyers as to what action they should take if she came back from this visit impaired in any way, along with a long letter to herself in case she were obliviated.

Augusta smiled triumphantly when Dumbledore's mask slipped and a slightly panicked look showed for a brief moment.

"You forgot that I was a Slytherin, didn't you…,"she paused as a look of dismay appeared on Dumbledore's face. "Oh how wonderful, you did!" she chortled gleefully.

* * *

Gavin woke slowly; his head pounding as if someone were dancing on it. When he opened his eyes finally, the first thing he saw was the ceiling of the Healing Hall. 

"_Ah, glad to see you're awake finally_," Awel said, sitting down beside the bed and starting a diagnostic spell. "_You've been sleeping for two days, so I expect you're hungry_?"

Gavin nodded carefully, but made a face at the mention of food.

"_Does your head hurt? I would expect it would, since whatever you three were up to managed to magically exhaust both you and Gwydion_." The healer selected a potion from a number sitting on a tray beside the bed and held it out to him. "_Take this; it will make it quit hurting so much_." Gavin carefully swallowed the nasty liquid, and lay back to wait until it took effect. Awel held a cup of water for him to wash the taste away with.

"_I expect you'd like to know what has happened while you took your nap_?" Awel smiled as Gavin's eyes opened once more, his anxiety for his brother and friend clear. "_Both Gwydion and Newlyn are fine. They are both still asleep, however, so we aren't sure what happened_."

The potion had started to work, so Awel helped Gavin sit up and placed a tray of apple slices and nut bread in front of him, then handed him a cup of warm tea. "_Go ahead and eat, I'll ask some questions and you can just nod until you're finished_."

Awel explained how Llygoden had found the tracks the boy's had left, leading from the dead tree to where Newlyn lay, but how the centaur had gotten down onto the sandbar was still a mystery to everyone, since Newlyn had obviously not climbed down. They'd had to make a litter and slide the foal onto it, and then lift the litter with their magic, instead of the foal, to get him up off the sandbar because magic hadn't worked on him directly. The blood they'd found under him on the rocks had both frightened and puzzled the rescuers, since none of the three were wounded.

"_Alright, apparently you were looking for your ball and you or Gwydion fell over the embankment_…," he paused as Gavin shook his head since he had a mouthful of nut bread at the moment. "_Newlyn fell_?" Gavin nodded, taking a swallow of the tea and biting off another piece of bread. "_He was hurt_?"

Gavin nodded and swallowed so he could explain. "_The dirt at the edge broke and Newlyn fell over. He was hurt real bad. My diagnostic spell said his rib went through his lung, and something else was bleeding inside of him. He also had a broken leg and a big cut on his side, and he hit his head really hard – there was a big soft spot and it was bleeding inside his head too_."

Awel heard a sharp intake of breath from behind him and turned to see Myrddin and Dylluan standing there. He wasn't surprised at their reaction; normally anyone wounded that badly would have died, probably well before help could have arrived.

Myrddin leaned over and gave Gavin a gentle hug and kiss, careful not to upset the tray. "_You had us all so worried Gavin. You and Gwydion used so much magic you nearly died! I'm so glad you're alright, but I don't understand what happened_."

"_I'm sorry if we made you worried, Grandfather_," Gavin said sadly, a tear in his eye. "_We didn't mean to, and I didn't know we used too much magic. We just did what we had to_." He hung his head, sorry they'd frightened everyone. "_Was Newlyn's father angry with us? I know we were told to stay where we were playing, but it was going to get dark and Rytan threw the ball into the woods. We just went to look for it_," he explained.

"_It's alright, Gavin. We understand you didn't mean for Newlyn to get injured_." Awel poured Gavin another cup of tea and sat back to listen. "_Go ahead, what happened after Newlyn fell_?"

"_I lit the signal fire to bring help, and Gwydion made an illusion of us being a wood pile to hide us until you came, since Llygoden said people were watching us again. Then we tried to heal Newlyn_…," Gavin explained, tears coming to his eyes as he remembered how frightened he'd been. "_It didn't work real well and pretty soon we were too tired to cast any more healing spells. Newlyn stopped breathing, and nobody had found us yet_," he choked back a sob. "…_so we called the Lord and Lady_."

"_The Lord and Lady answered you_?" Dylluan asked cautiously.

Gavin looked at him with an odd expression. "_Of course they did. Newlyn was dying, and we couldn't heal him ourselves_."

"_He just doesn't understand how unusual it is for the Lord and Lady to answer a plea without the proper invocations and sacrifices_," Dylluan whispered to Myrddin as Gavin ate another piece of apple, more interested in how hungry he was than what the adults were saying.

"_What Dylluan means, is how did you call them_?" Myrddin asked when Gavin had swallowed his apple. He was curious himself as to how the twins had gained the God and Goddess's help.

"_We put our hands on Newlyn, and asked the Lord and Lady to heal him. Then we all went to where they stay and we talked to them for a little while, and they said they would heal him_," Gavin explained matter of factualy. "_Then they did, and sent us back. We were real tired though, so we went to sleep until you found us_."

"_You talk to them, like you're talking to me now_?" Dylluan asked with a shocked expression on his face.

Gavin gave him another odd look. "_Yes…don't you_?" All Dylluan could do was shake his head weakly. He'd known that avatar's interacted with the Lord and Lady differently than other priests, but there was very little in the history's concerning them. He hadn't known they actually stood face to face and _spoke_ to them. "_The Lady says that when we get older we won't have to go to see them every time we want to talk, because they'll just be able to talk to us in our heads. I guess she meant like she talks to you_?"

"_No, Gavin. I think you and Gwydion have a special relationship with them_," he rephrased his answer when Gavin looked confused. "_I mean, I think they like you better,_" Myrddin replied with a smile. "_I think Dylluan will explain it all to you someday_."

"_Oh, alright_," Gavin replied, stuffing another piece of nut bread into his mouth and chewing quickly.

Gwydion and Newlyn woke a few hours later, none the worse for their experience, except that both were extremely hungry. Newlyn seemed to have no bad effects from his near death experience, although he got a dazed expression every once in awhile as if he were listening to something nobody else could hear. Eventually the elders of his herd would discover his abilities as a seer had awakened.

Life went on as usual through the fall and winter of the twin's fifth year. The boy's continued with their lessons, visiting the centaurs whenever the weather permitted. On one of their midwinter visits the brothers were met by the entire herd wearing their best ornaments, with tails braided with colorful ribbons.

Newlyn's father had petitioned the Centaur elders on the twin's behalf, and so they gained their third rune, a simple one of a squared off oval with two lines crossed on a diagonal inside of it, in recognition of their saving his foal's life at risk of their own. It seems the herd had learned how close the twins had come to exhausting their magic to the point of death in their efforts to save Newlyn. This rune was granted to very few outsiders; it was the one the centaurs used to identify someone who has officially been accepted into a herd. Anyone with this rune was guaranteed acceptance and sanctuary within any centaur herd.

An interesting opportunity came to the twins just before the spring equinox. Llygoden was asked to escort a pack train of urgently needed potion supplies to the Goblins. They'd had a flood in one of their lower levels and it destroyed one of their warehouses. They didn't have enough of some critical potion ingredients to last until others could be harvested. Myrddin decided it was a good opportunity to introduce the boys to another of the races who shared their world.

The trip from Oakwood Grove to the Goblin clan had taken most of the day, since they had loaded packhorses with them. The river and creeks had been high, and crossings had taken more time than expected. It was getting dark and it had started to rain heavily just before they reached the safety of the cave, so the goblin elders had invited them to stay over until the next morning instead of camping outside like they'd intended.

"_Now remember boys, be polite. I know you don't know much Gobbledygook, but you can at least say hello when you are introduced,_" Llygoden reminded the awestruck youngsters. They had just entered the main tunnel of the Goblin clan, and were waiting to greet the Goblin elders. The boys were gazing open mouthed at the intricately carved rock columns supporting the roof. Each column seemed to tell a story, and soon the boys were following one as it wound around and around one of the columns in a spiral.

"_This is amazing_," Gwydion whispered to his brother, reaching out to run his fingers over a detailed picture of a goblin warrior. "_This really happened. I remember Dylluan reading us this story_."

"_Yes, they were so brave. They had to protect their home from giants, and so many of them died_," Gavin said sadly. "_It isn't fair they had to fight giants all by themselves. Somebody ought to have helped them_."

"_If they have to fight giants again, we can help them Gavin_," Gwydion promised, unaware that they were being observed from the shadows. "_It's not right for people to treat the Goblins badly, just because they're smaller than we are_." The observers were surprised when they heard that. Most elves considered Goblins a necessary evil at best – only tolerated because of the metalwork they traded.

"_**Who are the children, Grapwick**_?" A scarred goblin in armor of a silvery metal asked a younger one quietly. He'd seen the runes on the children's faces and thought that they were the ones the seers had sent him to speak with, but he wanted confirmation.

"_**They are the grandsons of the dark haired elf, Clan Leader Ripthroat**_" the younger goblin replied. "_**They are named Gavin and Gwydion, and their elder is the Mage Myrddin**_." He'd been guarding the entrance to the tunnel when the group of elves entered, so he'd gotten an introduction while the elves waited for a superior to arrive to guide them to their quarters for the night.

"_**Pass the word that I want an opportunity to speak with them quietly, but without their escort, before they leave,"**_ the Goblin leader ordered. "_**I would like to learn more about them while they are here**_."

The potion ingredients had been delivered to the Goblin healers, deep in the safest section of the tunnels, and the small group was climbing towards the upper levels. Gavin and Gwydion had been asking their guide questions non-stop, and surprisingly enough considering how close mouthed and secretive goblins normally were, he was answering.

"_Ripthroat, do all the Goblins live in Cymru_?" Gwydion asked, curious about something he'd read in one of the history books Dylluan had given them to study. "_Are there goblins in the human world_?"

"_Yes, there was one clan that left Cymru over a thousand years ago for the human world. They built a series of banks, and hold the gold of the wizarding world safe, although they aren't liked by most wizards_." Ripthroat snorted at the foolishness of humans. Entrusting your gold to someone you despise and mistrust was the height of stupidity as far as he was concerned. "_We still communicate with them, although it's difficult sometimes_." It was difficult because the elves controlled the World Gates, he thought resentfully.

"_I don't know why they don't like Goblins, but I have read it is so_," Gavin said sadly. "_I think your people deserve honor for what you do_."

"_Can you tell us how you live here? There is no sun, how do you grow food_?" Gwydion asked. "_How do you get your names, and are you married_?"

Gavin added several more questions before Ripthroat could even answer the first few Gwydion had asked, and all three of them ended up laughing about it. He was amazed at the number of questions the boys were asking; it seemed they wanted to know _who_ the Goblins were, not just what they had to offer the elves in trade.

"_You are truly interested in learning how we live, young ones_?" Ripthroat asked in surprise. Both boys bowed quickly and grinned, showing all their teeth in the goblin manner.

"_**Yes, honored elder. We wish to learn all that you would teach us**_," the boys answered in accented, but accurate, Gobbledygook.

The overnight stay ended up being extended for a week, then two more, and still the boys asked questions. Now though, they were asked in polite Gobbledygook, and they began with 'can you show me' instead of 'can you tell me' and usually, to Myrddin's astonishment, the goblins did.

Finally, the visit drew to an end and the group stood at the tunnel exit, blinking slightly at the bright morning sun, something they were unaccustomed to after three weeks underground.

Gavin and Gwydion waited until their elders had said their farewells and started out into the sunlight before they approached Ripthroat, who they had eventually learned was the Leader of the Goblin clan.

"_**Honored elder, we thank you for the opportunity to learn at your feet,"**_ both boys stated, bowing low in front of the goblin. "_**We ask you to accept a gift, as a token of thanks for your words of wisdom**_." One of the things the boys had learned during their visit was basic metal crafting, not enough to make a knife or sword, but sufficient to make a simple bracelet. They had worked for nearly a week to make a set of bracelets out of twisted silver wire which they had braided into never ending knots. At nearly two inches across they were more like wrist guards to a goblin. "_**Please accept this unworthy gift in the spirit it is meant**_," they held the two bracelets out to Ripthroat, and he reached for them, his eyes wide. The bracelets, while of simple design, were carefully made, and glowed with magic to the goblin's mage sight; all of it matching the boy's magical signatures so he had no doubt they had done it themselves. There were protective spells, spells for stamina and health, and charms to warn of danger…all twisted and woven into the metal, much as the metal itself was twisted and woven together to form the bracelets. Each twist reinforced the magic and strengthened the protections.

"_**You crafted these for me**_?" Ripthroat carefully placed the bracelets on his wrists then bowed low to the boys in return. Goblins were seldom offered artifacts imbued with Elvin magic, so this was a splendid gift, especially since it had been made specifically for him. "_**I am honored by your gift**_," he said. "_**You are welcome in my home, should you wish to return. Safe journey, little ones**_."

Myrddin brought the boys back to visit the Goblin clan several more times before their sixth birthday, and each time they were received warmly, and needless to say, their Gobbledygook improved each time as well.

* * *

AN – The rune the boys get from the Centaur's is a melding of the rune Ingwaz, representing the Earth god and the values of family love, caring, and the home, joined with Gebo, representing a gift, both in the sense of sacrifice and of generosity, and indicating balance. It shows an even exchange, or partnership between equals. 


	11. Changing Your Mind

AN - _**All conversations in Bold Italics are in Gobbledegook.**_

_All conversations in italics are Elvish._

* * *

PHOENIX and DRAGON: Through the World Gate

Chapter 11

The twin's sixth birthday came all too quickly, and it started off with a surprise.

"_Hurry up and get dressed Gavin! I want to go look for the raspberry leaves Awel wanted so we can be back in time for our party_." Gwydion called out from the dining room, voice muffled because he had a piece of toast stuck in his mouth. Gavin walked in, fully dressed, and started laughing when his brother ended up on the floor because he was jumping on one leg while he attempted to pull his second boot on.

"_It would have been quicker if you'd just sat down to put on your boots_!" He reached down and took the toast out of Gwydion's mouth and then took a bite out of it, holding it out of reach when his brother grabbed for it. "_Come on, you said you were in a hurry_!" Gavin took off out the door with the toast, Gwydion on his heels in full protest, his boot still untied.

"_Hey! That was mine_!" Gwydion complained as he finally caught up, still grumbling about the stolen toast. He at least, remembered to grab the collecting baskets as he ran out, so he threw one to Gavin.

Their path took them to a meadow at the edge of the deeper forest to the north of the village. A thick tangle of raspberry brambles filled one end of the clearing, the fruit just coming ripe. The boys picked berries for several minutes, eating their fill of the warm fruit as they filled one of the baskets with berries and the other with leaves, then sat down in the shade to rest. It was still only mid morning, but there was only a trace of breeze and the summer sun was already heating up the woods.

"_You haven't been sleeping very well at night_," Gavin said, glancing at his brother with a worried expression. "_Are you having bad dreams again_?"

Gwydion shook his head, slapping at a buzzing fly with irritation. "_I've been having strange dreams every night for the last week_…" He leaned back against a fallen log and started shredding a piece of loose bark, not sure how to explain what had been happening. "_I'm walking along the edge of a forest, not doing anything really, when all of a sudden I see a huge black wolf looking at me_."

"_Were you scared_?" Gavin asked, fascinated by the thought. He loved animals, and their grandfather thought he might be developing the beast speaking ability, although they wouldn't be sure that's what it was till he was older. Gwydion was already able to speak with snakes, and there was a possibility he could eventually speak with all reptiles, including dragons such as the green ones that were sometimes seen in the higher hills. "_How come I didn't dream it too_?" The twins shared their dreams quite frequently, something they both enjoyed.

Gwydion shrugged, and continued with his story. "_No, for some reason I'm not scared; it's like I'm supposed to be there or something. The first time, it just looked at me for a long time then it walked up and sniffed me. I stroked its fur, and it just let me, then it sort of told me to follow it. That's when my dreams got really strange…when I started to follow it I turned into a wolf too_!"

Gavin's mouth dropped open in surprise, and then he started asking questions too quickly for Gwydion to even understand.

"_Hush_!" Gwydion finally had to put his hand over his brothers mouth to shut him up for long enough to answer. "_If you'll be quiet I'll tell you_!" Gavin huffed in annoyance, and then settled to listen.

"_The wolf led me through the forest for hours, showing me how to follow the tracks of deer by scent, where rabbits would pass on their way to a meadow, how to find water by smelling for it…lots of things. It seemed like I understood what it was saying too_."

Gavin made an impatient gesture, telling him to hurry up with the story, so he continued. "_Each night I've done different things, learning all about being a wolf…only I don't think it was really a wolf. I think its Lord Herne_."

"_What's it like, being a wolf_?" Gavin asked curiously. The thought of a wolf being the Lord of the Hunt wasn't surprising to him; they'd had a number of dreams in the past, where their Liege's had taken them places or taught them something. The only one they'd told about their dreams was Dylluan, because he'd questioned how they sometimes knew things he hadn't taught them yet.

"_It's strange. I can't see colors, but it doesn't matter, because everything has a different smell. There are so many smells…it's like the wind talks to you, tells you where everything in the forest is…you can even smell the ocean sometimes if the wind is from the right direction_." Gwydion looked up when Gavin didn't jump in with a comment as he usually would, and discovered that his brother was staring past him into the forest with wide eyes.

Gwydion turned quickly to see what had caught his brother's attention, and came face to face with a large black wolf. The wolf's mouth was open in an unmistakable grin, its eyes bright with mischief. "_So, you weren't just a dream_?" The wolf shook his head, unmistakably saying no.

Gwydion stood slowly and stepped closer, reaching out to touch a soft ear. "_Is_ _the part about changing into a wolf real too, sir_?" Gavin tensed when the large predator woofed softly, but relaxed when the wolf lay down and made no hostile moves. "_I'm not sure I can do it for real though, will you help me_?" The wolf woofed once more, so Gwydion knelt on the ground in front of it, turning back to look over his shoulder at Gavin.

"_Tell Grandfather I may be a bit late for the party…my Lord has something he wants to show me_?" Gwydion asked his twin softly, an odd expression on his face, half fear and half excitement. He turned to look into the wolf's eyes for a moment before continuing faintly. "_Lord Herne says he will bring me back before dark_."

"_Ye…yes, I'll tell him_," Gavin stuttered out finally and watched with fascination as Gwydion stared into the wolf's eyes for a short time before finally nodding. It was one thing to speak with a deity in dreams, quite another for one to show up in person, so to speak.

"_I understand, my Lord_."

Gwydion seemed to shiver as if with cold, and then he hunched over and his form blurred. Sitting in place of his brother was a grey wolf cub with bright green eyes. Its soft puppy fur was just starting to change to the rougher coat of an adult, but it was already the size of a full grown grey wolf. The black wolf rose to its feet and stepped forward to nuzzle the cub, then licked it gently across the nose before turning to reenter the forest. The cub started to follow, then turned back suddenly and ran to Gavin, its tail wagging excitedly. It licked him once on his chin before running to where the much larger wolf waited with an amused expression on its face. They moved out of sight quicker than Gavin believed possible.

Gavin left the woods at a run, and finally found his grandfather talking with Awel in the Healing Hall a short time later. He dropped to the floor at their feet, panting badly for a moment before he could speak. "_Grandfather! You'll never believe what Gwydion is_!"

"_Don't you mean where Gwydion is_?" Myrddin asked, laughing at how excited Gavin was. "_Where is your brother anyway? Didn't you go get the raspberry leaves Awel wanted_?"

"_No! I mean yes, we went for the leaves, but something happened…Gwydion's a wolf_!" Gavin explained excitedly, an ear to ear grin on his face. Myrddin and Awel stared at the boy in confusion.

"_Gavin, you're not making sense. Where's Gwydion_?" Awel finally noticed the baskets Gavin had brought back with him; one was full of fresh picked berries, the other the raspberry leaves he had needed, so obviously the boys had done as they were asked.

"_I'm trying to tell you_," Gavin huffed, frustrated that he wasn't getting them to understand. "_Gwydion's a WOLF_!"

Myrddin sighed. He appreciated the boy's imaginations, but sometimes they got a bit wild. "_Alright, tell me about what happened when you went for the leaves_," he asked patiently.

"_We went like you asked us to, and we found the brambles and picked berries for awhile, then got Awel's leaves_," Gavin paused to make sure they understood, than took a big breath and continued. "_Gwydion was telling me about the dreams he's been having, about being a wolf because a bigger wolf was showing him how, and it sounded like a lot of fun but I think I'd be scared too, and then the same wolf came for real and Gwydion said it was Lord Herne and then he turned into a wolf just like in the dream, and he licked me on the chin, and then he ran off into the forest_," he somehow managed to say without taking a single breath. "_He says he'll be back before dark though_."

'Did Gavin just say what I thought he said…,' Myrddin thought in shock. He sat down on one of the beds, his mind blank. 'Lord Herne? Turned Gwydion into a wolf?'

'A wolf! That's not possible…,' Awel thought, his mind going blank. 'Lord Herne?!'

"_What dreams, Gavin_?" Myrddin finally asked, picking the only part he had really understood out of what the boy had said, his mind still in shock. Little boys didn't just turn into wolves…

"_Gwydion hasn't been sleeping very well lately, he said he'd been having weird dreams every night for the last week, but he didn't want to talk about them, I guess because Lord Herne said not to tell anyone_," Gavin explained, rolling his eyes at the two adult's lack of understanding. "_Then today we were sitting and talking, and the same wolf came. It was the biggest wolf I've ever seen, and it was black. I've never seen a black wolf before_." Gavin paused as he thought about how odd it was to see a black wolf. The only wolves found in their area weren't nearly that big and were grey, like the one Gwydion had turned into. They were really shy and avoided people, so nobody saw them much.

"_Anyway, Gwydion talked to the wolf, and then I guess he showed him how to turn into a wolf for real, just like in the dreams, because then Gwydion shivered and went blurry and then he was a wolf. He was just a big cub, and he's grey, not black, and he had really big feet_." Gavin stopped, slightly confused by his own explanation.

"_Gwydion, I mean, not Lord Herne_," he explained to his grandfather and the dazed healer with a grin, hoping they would understand this time. "_He said Lord Herne would bring him back before dark_."

Awel sat down on the bed beside Myrddin, both blinking in shock. "_A _wolf?!" They both asked in unison, trying to get their minds around the idea. Being able to _speak_ to animals was fairly common, but Elves just didn't turn _into_ one…although it was supposedly possible for wizards to do so. This was going to take some getting used to.

"_Do you think Lord Herne will teach me to change into an animal too_?" Gavin asked hopefully, his expression dreamy as he imagined what it would be like. "_I think I'd like to be something that flies_…" Myrddin and Awel just looked at him with wide eyes.

* * *

The large grey owl winged silently through the owl post entrance of a large white building, landing on one of the perches in the receiving area of the mail room. A small goblin carefully removed the roll of parchment from its leg and read the label with surprise before hurrying out, intent on delivering it as quickly as possible. Several minutes later, a goblin in an important looking office was opening it, an expresion of irritation and pleasure warring on his face. Every time he got a letter from this goblin, it meant trouble for someone... 

_**To Chairman Ragnok, Clan Gringotts **_

_**From Battle Leader Ripthroat, Clan Bogrod**_

"_**Ragnok, my old friend and adversary! I hope this letter finds you well, with your enemies groveling at your feet and your gold flowing like water.**_

_**I am writing to tell you of two rather extraordinary visitors my clan hosted recently; two children by the names of Gavin and Gwydion Emrys. They spent a number of weeks with us, and I found them to be of great interest. Their magic is strong, and they are accepting of all beings, no matter the form. They have even learned to speak Gobbledygook, with a fair accent as well, given that they are elves.**_

_**The two I speak of are the younglings who caused so much disruption in the magical balances when they performed a blood bonding on the solstice a year and a half past.**_

_**What the elves neglected to tell us at the time, is that they were marked by the hand of the Lord Herne and Lady Donn and swore an oath of fealty to them. They are also counted as priests among the elves, even at their young age, and have been taken as Centaur Friends for actions that saved one of the stargazers young. **_

_**The reason I mention this is that one of them should be familiar to you, by name if nothing else. He was a wizard born named Harry Potter before he was brought to Cymru from the human world; he was adopted to the Emrys line and given a new name after the bonding. If the rumors I've heard are true, he was of some importance to the wizards? I would be interested to hear your viewpoint on the events that carried this child to prominence at such a young age.**_

_**I spoke with his adopted grandfather at great length while they were visiting and decided to write to you of his concerns. Myrddin Emrys, who should be well known to you from past dealings, was concerned that his grandson's inheritance from his original family might be taken from him if the wizarding world decides he is dead. It might be prudent to prevent this from happening; I feel it could be profitable to be in this family's good graces in the coming years. By our laws, the child by the name of Harry Potter still exists, whatever his current name or appearance, and our laws supersede those of the wizards in matters such as this. **_

_**Why should you get involved in this you ask? What does this have to do with the Goblin clans? Quite a lot, I fear. I recently learned of a prophecy one of the Elvin seers gave; it mentioned both boys, and said that they would be instrumental in the coming battle against the Darkness. The Elvin prophecy ties in well with two we found in our own clan's scrolls; all three speak of Darkness overtaking all, if these children fail in their fight. Our records hint that your clan has at least one similar prophecy? **_

_**I don't believe it is coincidence that the Potter child is reported to have vanquished the dark lord who was running rampant in the human world. The words of our seers lead me to believe that the evil isn't dead, however, merely weakened for a time. I fear for us all if this evil is allowed to spread unchecked when it returns, because I have no doubt it will affect both your clan and those of us who remain in Cymru.**_

_**Need I remind you what happened the last time the Darkness crept over our lands? Two clans are no more, their bones buried in their collapsed tunnels, and the rest of us were damaged so badly we are only now regaining our former greatness. I am not suggesting we join a side in this battle; merely that we lend our assistance where we can, especially when we can gain from it as well. **_

_**Think on it. **_

_**May gold fill your tunnels, and misfortune visit your enemies like a favored relative.**_

_**Ripthroat**_

_**

* * *

**_

AN: I'm happy that everyone seems to be enjoying the story, and I'm glad to say there will be more coming soon.


	12. Fur and Feathers

AN- This is a little bit of a transition chapter, just setting the stage for later developments. I think you'll find the next couple chapters a bit faster moving. I've got to get the boys older so some of the action will be believable without spoon feeding them information.

Conversations like this ":- are not spoken aloud - they are mind to mind -:"

_Conversations in italics are Elvish, as usual._

* * *

PHOENIX and DRAGON: Through the World Gate 

Chapter 12

"_Gwydion_!" Myrddin stood on a rock outcropping at the edge of the village, looking into the rapidly darkening forest, concern clear on his face. He'd been calling for his grandson ever since the sun first began to set, and he was beginning to get frantic. "_Gwydion_!"

Gavin sat on a slightly higher rock, absently kicking his feet against the fronds of a fern growing from a crevice below him as he listened to the first song of the night begin in the village center. He wasn't concerned about Gwydion at all – Lord Herne said his brother would be back by dark, so he would be.

"_He'll be here Grandfather; I don't understand why you are so worried…he's with Lord Herne_." Gavin slid off the rock and moved to stand next the Myrddin, taking his hand comfortingly. "_I hope Gwydion can talk him into letting me be an animal too_…," he continued softly.

Myrddin glanced down at Gavin and got an odd look on his face as he heard that comment, as if he just found half a worm in an apple and realized he'd eaten the other half. 'Not if I can help it," Myrddin thought. 'Bad enough Gwydion is a…wolf. Elves _don't_ turn into wolves….' He looked up suddenly as the normal sound of the birds twittering as they settled for the night stopped. 'Was that movement?' He jumped down off the rock and moved closer to the edge of the woods, trying to see through the gathering darkness. "_Gwydion_!"

Gavin turned to look behind him, then grinned and bowed respectfully to the large black wolf standing at the very top of the outcropping. A smaller grey wolf sat panting at his feet, happy, but obviously exhausted as it was leaning against the larger wolf's legs to stay upright. Gavin's movement caught Myrddin's eye and he turned quickly, freezing in place when he saw the pair behind him. He hesitated for a moment then something he saw in the black wolf's eyes made him bow as well. The wolf nodded its head slightly, and reached down to nudge the smaller wolf forward. Gwydion lurched to his feet, and looked up at his liege lord questioningly. Lord Herne licked Gwydion's muzzle then gently pushed him toward Myrddin, watching the mage as the cub approached him as if gaging his protégé's reception.

Myrddin watched as the juvenile grey wolf padded forward and stopped at the edge of the rock, his eyes even with the man's. "_Gwydion_?" he asked wonderingly, reaching out to gingerly touch the wolf's fur. He jumped when the cub yipped and wagged its tail wearily before sitting down and closing its bright green eyes. It seemed to shiver, then opened its eyes again and turned to look over its shoulder at the black wolf.

":-_My Lord…I…,-:"_ Gwydion thought apologetically, directing his words toward the black wolf as he'd been taught.

":-_Do you need help changing back this time, cub?-:"_A deep voice asked in his mind.

The cub nodded its head gratefully, and the black wolf stepped forward, the cub turning to face him and raising his eyes to meet his elder's.

":-_Just once more, then you need to show me you can do it on your own.-:"_

Gwydion nodded his understanding. A long moment of staring, black eyes meeting green, and then the cub shimmered and a small boy sat in its place.

Myrddin started to reach for Gwydion, but Gavin caught his arm. "_No, he's not done yet. Gwydion has to do it without help first_." Gwydion nodded his thanks to his lord and closed his eyes…a moment later he shimmered and there was a cub on the rock. Shimmer and it was Gwydion…shimmer, and a wolf cub sat there once more. Gwydion repeated the transformation several times more, and each time the change seemed to come faster and easier. The black wolf finally woofed softly and reached out to nuzzle the boy's cheek. Gwydion wrapped his arms around the wolf's neck and leaned against its side for a minute, his face buried in the soft fur, before he gave it a weary hug and let go. The wolf turned to look at Gavin before it turned and bounded off into the darkness.

"_That_…," Myrddin swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. "_That…was the Lord of the Hunt_?"

Gwydion nodded and stood shakily, laughing as he wobbled a little before Myrddin reached to steady him with a hand on his shoulder. "_I need to practice catching my balance; I'm not used to just two legs now! Four legs are a lot easier_!"

Gavin started giggling as he wrapped his arms around his twin for a quick hug. "_You've got to tell me what you did today! Did you go hunting? Where did you go_!?"

Myrddin picked Gwydion up and set him on his hip before starting back into the village. The boys were getting taller everyday and soon would be too big to carry comfortably. They were already about 38 inches tall, average for an elfling their age but tall for a human child, and they were growing like weeds. "_Where _did_ you go_?" He asked curiously. Gwydion put his arms around his grandfather's neck and leaned his head against his chest wearily.

"_We went out to the cliffs then down to the sea shore, near where we went to collect sea shells last time with Great Grandmother Etain, and then we crossed the river just up from where it gets all marshy, and circled back around the far side of the centaur village. Did you know wolves can swim_?" He yawned and closed his eyes. "_Lord Herne said he didn't want to bother the centaurs so we went hunting for mice in the big river meadow_." Gwydion explained as he yawned again, his head growing heavier against Myrddin's chest. "_It was fun, but it was kind of strange to eat mice for lunch; he had to catch most of them. I chased a rabbit but I didn't catch it… Lord Herne said I would get better…and that I needed to learn how… to live… as a wolf would…._" Gwydion's voice trailed off, and Myrddin realized the boy had fallen asleep as his arms went limp and he heard a small snore.

Myrddin considered what Gwydion had said as they walked home, and found something odd about the explanation. Prior to this, neither boy could say much about their interactions with the deities. This time, Gwydion had given a quite detailed description of what he'd done; even repeating what the Lord had said.

They soon reached their house, and Myrddin decided Gwydion was going to have to miss a night of the solstice celebration, as well as his birthday party; he'd have to open his gifts in the morning. He laid his grandson down on his bed then gently tugged off his soft ankle boots and outer clothes, before laying a light blanket over him. "_Happy birthday, Gwydion_." He bent down and gently kissed him on the forehead. "_Sleep tight little cub_." He stopped, still bent over as he noticed something he'd missed before. A small rune had appeared on Gwydion's cheek, directly below the symbol for the Wheel of Life. It was Uruz, the symbol of the sacred hunt, signifying change, freedom, understanding, and the reformulation of self. He gently stroked it, awed by what he'd seen tonight.

"_Gavin, do you know why Gwydion was able to talk about what he did today_?" Myrddin asked softly, standing up finally and pushing Gavin toward the door. This was the most important night of the week long Lughnasadh celebration, and people would miss them soon. "_Usually you can't explain things after you've been with the Lord or Lady_."

Gavin got a thoughtful expression on his face. "_I think it's because Lord Herne was here as a wolf today, not just talking in our minds. We go someplace different when they talk to us and teach us things, and I don't think the words come back with us_."

Myrddin looked confused, so Gavin continued. "_I mean, we remember what we learn, but the words to speak about it aren't there_." He shrugged, at a loss as to come up with any better explanation. "_He said we could tell you about our shape changing though, and Etain, Llygoden and Awel too if we wanted but to not tell anyone else. We might need to use our other forms to fight or escape… something_…." Gavin paused as something he'd said seemed to strike him and his eyes got wide. "_He said WE! He's going to teach me too_!" Gavin bounced up and down, a wide grin on his face. "_I get to learn to be an animal too_!"

"Skreeeeee!" A shrill cry tore through the afternoon quiet as a large brown and gold bird swept across the meadow, its seven foot wingspan casting a dark shadow across the grass. "Skreeeeee!

Yips from a long legged adolescent wolf answered as it flushed a rabbit from its hiding place inside a small thicket. The young golden eagle banked, flapping its wings five or six times to gain height again as the rabbit changed directions, then suddenly dove at the rabbit again. The eagle missed, ending up on the ground with its feathers ruffled and its talons full of grass. The wolf seemed to laugh as it took off after the madly dodging bunny before eventually giving up and retreating to a patch of shade under a windswept tree to rest, panting happily with its tongue hanging out. The eagle soon followed to perch on a dead branch overhead, preening its feathers in irritation.

The tree was one of only a few still struggling to survive here on the exposed cliff top; the steady breeze off the ocean twisted its growth sideways as it clung to the rocky edge overlooking what would be called the Irish Sea, if this had been the human world. The elves just called it the Western Sea and left it at that.

":-You waited too long to dive, fledgling,-:" a deep voice advised in the boy's minds. A black wolf raised its head off its front feet and looked up at the golden eagle. ":-Next time try to dive when you're about a body length behind your prey. If you can come in with the sun in front of you, your shadow won't be so likely to warn it.-:" The wolf rose to its feet and stretched, its wide yawn displaying a mouthful of large white teeth. ":-Would you like some more practice riding the thermals?-:"

The young eagle chirped eagerly, and took to the air, watching as the wolf trotted toward the edge of the cliff, speeding up as it got closer and taking several running steps before jumping off the edge and changing into an adult golden eagle as it dropped to wards the crashing waves far below. Soon the young wolf was lying on his back; feet in the air, nearly dozing as he idly watched the two eagles playing follow the leader in circles above the cliff. They floated effortlessly through the late afternoon sky without flapping their wings, only the trailing edges of their flight feathers and their tails moving at all.

The days seemed to speed past after that; the cycle repeated as Summer turned into Fall, the Winter storms arrived, and eventually Spring brought new leaves and the rebirth of the land. The boys grew and learned many new things. They continued to visit the centaurs nearly every day, and spent time with the goblins perfecting their grasp of that language and the tunnel dweller's customs.

The next couple years passed quietly as the boys studied magic with Myrddin, herbology, astronomy, and forest craft with the Centaurs, metal working, warding, and combat magic with the Goblins, healing and potions with Awel, and runes, arithmancy, magical theory, and rituals with Dylluan.

Gavin began to show signs of being a seer the Spring of his eighth year, so he started spending time with his Great Grandmother Etain, learning to scry and the principles of divination.

Summer arrived again and then the days began to shorten once more. Soon the leaves turned colors and fell to the ground; a sure sign that winter was on its way once more, and the storms would begin.

":-Do you see the doe yet, Gavin?-:" Gwydion asked his brother silently as he carefully crept through the rustling leaves. It was two weeks into November, and the boys were practicing their hunting skills again.

":-No, I think it went toward the river though...lets loop around that way and see if we can catch it between the river and the centaur village. It will be dark in a little while, we'd better head back if we don't see it soon. -:" Gavin was flying above the treetops looking for rabbits in the small meadows, or an unwary squirrel, while Gwydion stalked a shy deer from the ground. They'd perfected their techniques with the smaller creatures like rabbits and other small rodents, and now sought larger, more challenging prey, although it was unlikely they could actually kill a full grown deer, even with both of them attacking it. Eventually Gavin _would _be able to kill a young deer however; he was already starting to loose the white feathers that indicated his youth. Gwydion had grown considerably in the last year as well, and he now weighed nearly 80lbs, on the large side for a native grey wolf but he still had not reached his mature size, even if he looked nearly full grown.

Many miles away, a hunter of a different sort stalked its prey.

Llygoden stepped carefully behind a large fir tree, using its bulk to hide himself from the one he was spying on. Llygoden had been told by a friend that this elf was involved in a plot to gain control of the twins, so he had followed, hoping to learn more. He'd been following since his quarry had left Lindenwood Grove the day before, and now the man had met up with a larger group. They had apparently settled for the night so he took a chance and moved carefully closer, trying to hear what they were discussing around the fire one had lit earlier.

Llygoden heard a slight rustle behind him and was half turned when the arrow pierced his side, driving deep between his ribs. He only had a moment to realize he was hurt before he instinctively _drifted_, aiming for the marker stone in the Oakwood village center.

* * *

AN – Myrddin is a half-elf/half-human but he was raised primarily by elves so his reactions are based on their cultural norm. Elves can't make the animagus transformation, so it is alien to all he knows, although he is aware that wizards can make the change. I know there has been speculation that Gavin/Gwydion would turn into a phoenix/dragon (per the usual uber-Harry cliché) but that isn't where their 'prophecy names' come from. It is more of a metaphysical designation that I will explain in a later chapter - think ancient alchemy terms. 


	13. The Summerlands

AN- Conversations like this are in the Centaur language, _all conversations in italics are in Elvish_.

* * *

PHOENIX and DRAGON: Through the World Gate 

Chapter 13

…Llygoden heard a slight rustle behind him and was half turned when the arrow pierced his side, driving deep between his ribs. He only had a moment to realize he was hurt before he instinctively drifted, aiming for the marker stone in the Oakwood village center…

* * *

"_Llygoden_!" Screams rang out as a figure drifted into view in the village center, only to fall limply to the ground the instant it fully materialized. "_Where's Awel! Somebody go get Awel_!" 

It was too late. A widening pool of blood, too much blood, flowed across the flagstones, filling the runes on the inset marker stone with red. The arrow had pierced Llygoden's side, sliding between his ribs and cutting through part of his heart. He'd have had no chance to survive, even if he'd landed at Awel's feet.

A council meeting was called several hours later, after the body of the young elf was removed to the Healing Hall to await burial. "_Does anyone have knowledge of what Llygoden was doing this last week or so_?" Naf Ianwdd asked wearily from his seat. Llygoden had been his nephew, his sister's only child, and she was not taking his death well. He'd finally had to ask Awel to sedate her, due to her hysterics.

"_The last time I saw him was four days ago, as he was leaving for Lindenwood Grove_," Myrddin explained. "_He was going to check out something one of the Elderwood Grove scouts told him, something about a conspiracy to kidnap the boys_."

"_Were the forest guards able to identify the arrow's owner_?" Naf Mieri asked quietly, her dark blue eyes saddened at the loss of such a young member of their clan. She was the master weaver of the village and one of the quieter members of the council. Unlike most elves, which chose to wear their hair loose, or pulled back at the sides in small braids, she wore her dark blond hair woven into a thick crown on top of her head to keep it out of the way when she worked at her looms.

Myrddin shook his head. "_It was a standard arrow issued to all of the forest guards. No Grove markings or ownership runes on it_." He sighed and rubbed his face wearily. The last few hours had been hard on everyone. Llygoden had been loved by many people in the village, and nobody was taking his death well, especially his godson Gavin. He thanked the Goddess that the twins had at least been spared the sight of Llygoden's death; they'd been visiting the centaur village and had only been told when they returned.

Telling them had been bad enough though, and Myrddin had only reluctantly left the boys with their Great Grandmother Etain to come to the meeting. Awel had given them a calming draught to ease their grief because Gavin's core was disturbed from the breaking of the godfather bond and it could cause him harm if his magic flared. It had been difficult explaining to him why there was suddenly something missing; he'd never consciously noticed the bond he had with his godfather, but now that it was gone it was as if a part of him been torn away, leaving a gaping hole.

The meeting continued for several hours as the council sifted through what little information could be found. The scout from Elderwood had been sent for, as well as the captain of the Lindenwood guard. In the end, it was decided that Myrddin would go to Lindenwood Grove immediately after the funeral to try and trace Llygoden's movements.

* * *

A waning moon shone down on the group gathered in a small rocky clearing, barely providing enough light to see each other's faces. They were all dressed similarly; dark hooded cloaks worn over a simple tunic and sturdy leggings of green or brown, the normal garb of a forest guard. The symbols of several different clans marked their cloak clasps; this was a group drawn together by political ambition, not blood. 

"_Are you sure you killed him_?" A dark haired elf asked another elf with light brown hair anxiously. "If _he were able to identify any of us_…."

"_He's dead_," a voice answered from the darkness. "_The Oakwood Council called in the Captain to ask about him_." An elf with white blond hair stepped out of the forest and sat on a boulder beside another very similar looking elf, perhaps a sibling or close cousin. "_He kept as much as he could from them, but he could only hide so much without drawing suspicion down on himself_."

There were gasps from several of those gathered, and soft conversation broke out as they discussed the implications. "_We'll have to split up for now and lie low until suspicion dies down_," a voice finally announced from the darkness. "_I'll send a message to meet when I think it's safe. We'll have to rethink our plan to take the boys; they'll be guarded much closer now, but having their godfather gone may work in our favor_." Dimly seen nods were the only response, and the clearing was soon deserted once more as shadowed forms drifted back into the dark forest.

* * *

The entire village stood silently in a circle among a stand of small oak trees, watching as the sun set and waiting for true darkness to arrive. Four of the forest guards knelt outside of the circle beating on large drums, the deep sound echoing through the forest like the beat of a giant heart. Between them stood four more forest guards, silently holding carved horns with silver mouthpieces. 

On the ground within the circle of elves lay Llygoden's body, dressed in white linen with his arms crossed on his chest, his hair carefully braided with white ribbons. Eight large white candles were set around him and a brass brazier filled with oil soaked oak wood ready to be lit lay waiting at his feet. On his chest, set carefully between his crossed arms, lay a perfect red apple.

The horns sounded three times, the sound echoing through the forest as the last rays of the sun disappeared. A figure in a white linen robe stepped forward to stand at Llygoden's head. "_We are here to honor the life of Llygoden and commemorate his journey into the Summerlands. Lo, an Ancestor is made_!"

The village echoed the priest. "_An Ancestor is made_!

Dylluan raised his hands up towards the slowly appearing stars. "_Hail to our Ancestors_!"

The villagers held hands and raised them all together towards the stars. "_Hail to our Ancestors_!"

Dylluan raised his hands again towards the stars. "_Hail to our Kindred_!"

"_Hail to our Kindred_!"

"_Hail to the Mysteries_!" The High Priest said, completing the invocation.

"_Hail to the Mysteries_!"

The steady heart beat of the deep drums beat louder for a moment then softened so as to be barely heard.

The second part of the ceremony began. "_Fires of Creation come forth within us! Sacred Fire be a beacon for Llygoden, guiding the child of our clan to the house of the Dead, the resting-place of souls on their journey to the Summerlands. Sacred Fire awaken_!"

**"**_Sacred Fire awaken_!"

Dylluan raised his arms suddenly, palms up to the sky, and flames leapt from the tips of the candles placed around Llygoden, the sudden flare of light revealing the tear streaked faces of those gathered to say their fare wells.

Llygoden's mother stepped forward, supported by her brother, and lit the brazier placed at her son's feet. She stood for a moment as the wood caught fire, looking down at her only child then stepped shakily back to join the circle.

"_Waters of Memory flow forth within us! Holy Waters be a swift current for Llygoden, carrying him smoothly to the house of the Dead, the resting-place of souls on their journey to the Summerlands. Holy Waters flow forth_!" Dylluan sprinkled water over Llygoden's body in blessing.

**"**_Holy waters flow forth_!"

"_Tree of All Worlds grow forth within us! Holy apple of the Otherworld be a gift for Llygoden, welcoming him to the house of the Dead, the resting-place of souls on their journey to the Summerlands. Sacred Tree grow strong_!" The High Priest bent and placed a single perfect acorn beside the apple on Llygoden's chest.

**"**_Sacred Tree grow strong_!"

"_Llygoden, hear me! We thank you for the time our souls shared together. You are not gone, but live in our memories eternal and our life is richer for your presence. Come forth among us once more, Llygoden, that we may say our farewells and grant you our forgiveness for any wrongs you may have done in life and receive yours for any we have done to you, so that balance may be attained as you complete the cycle of Life_." Dylluan nodded to Llygoden's mother, and she knelt to throw a handful of dried sage leaves into the brazier at her son's feet. She stood once more as the rising cloud of fragrant smoke condensed and formed into the ghostly shape of her son.

The apparition gazed sadly into his mother's eyes then reached out to stroke her cheek lovingly. She tried to smile but couldn't quite manage it as tears streamed down her face, then turned away without speaking and stepped back into the circle, several people pulling her into an embrace in an attempt to comfort her.

The circle of people moved slowly clockwise as one by one they would step forward to speak of things they remembered about Llygoden's life, then turn to the spirit to express their love and say farewell. Finally it was Gavin's turn.

Llygoden's spirit gazed sadly down at Gavin where he stood in front of his godfather, his green eyes glistening with tears. "_Don't go, Llygoden_," Gavin pleaded softly, a tear slowly gliding down his cheek. "_I love you…don't go_!"

The ghost shook his head sadly then reached to stroke Gavin's cheek in farewell before turning to give Dylluan a respectful nod. The High Priest gestured towards the brazier and the fire flared, quickly consuming the remaining wood and allowing the spirit to slowly fade as the smoke dispersed.

Gavin collapsed into a heap on the ground beside the brazier as the spectral form of his godfather disappeared. "_Noooo! You can't leave! Please don't leave me!_" he screamed wildly, tears streaming down his face. "_I don't want you to go…Gwydion, please ask if he can stay_?" Gavin's voice cracked as he pleaded with his brother to intercede with the Dark Lord. "_Don't leave me_…," he sobbed broken heartedly. "_I need you_…."

Gwydion shook his head sadly and knelt to pull his twin into his arms. "_I already asked him Gavin_," he whispered into his brother's ear as he held him tightly. "…_he said it was Llygoden's time, and there wasn't any way to change that_." Tears ran down his face as he had to deny his brother's request. "_We can't bring him back_…."

"_It's not fair! I need him_!" Gavin wailed as he pushed Gwydion roughly away and curled up on the ground, blinded by his grief. "_Bring him back…please_…," he whispered brokenly.

Gwydion stood and threw himself against Etain, sobbing softly, hurt by his brothers rejection. "_Shhhh…he doesn't mean it_," she reassured him as she rubbed his back gently. "_He just hurts too much right now_."

"_I'm sorry Gavin…I can't bring him back_…," Gwydion whispered to himself. 'I can't bring any of them back,' he thought sadly, missing the mother and father he'd never known so badly it made his heart hurt. 'Gavin lost his parents the same time I did, but he had Myrddin, Etain and...Llygoden all his life. This is the first time he's lost someone close to his heart. I didn't have anyone until I came here...Its not fair...we're only nine years old...we shouldn't have to worry about dieing...'

Myrddin stepped forward and gathered a sobbing Gavin into his arms, cradling him against his chest as Dylluan spoke the words to complete the ritual.

"_We stand at the borders and watch the mists close in, waves rolling where shore meets the ocean, where land meets sea and sky, where Life meets Death. We call to you, Lord Herne; we welcome you, as you one day will welcome us._" Dylluan raised his arms high, face towards the now bright stars. "_Dark Lord, Lord of the Dead, protector of Life; let the gates be open! Lord Herne we call upon you as the ferryman; guide Llygoden to the shores of the Summerlands, that he may join his honored Ancestors_." He lowered his arms and sprinkled water over the body once more.

The horns sounded three times, the long notes echoing mournfully through the darkness, accompanied by the soft thump of the drums. Many of the villagers wailed their grief, tears streaming down their faces.

"_We call to our Beloved Dead, the blessed Ancestors, to welcome Llygoden among you. Dark Lord, I thank you for your protection and guidance of Llygoden as he completes his journey_," Dylluan called as Llygoden's mother sobbed, sagging in her brother's arms. "_Journey well Llygoden, and take your place among the Ancestors in the Otherworld_."

"_We give thanks for those who shared with us their memories of Llygoden. Find peace within yourselves, take comfort in the warm embrace of your loved ones around you, and be resolved in the knowledge that this life's journey of Llygoden is completed. Let him return to the womb of the Great Mother_!" Dylluan sprinkled blessed water over Llygoden for a third time, then held his hands out over the body, palms down, and slowly spread his arms, chanting softly the whole while.

The acorn on Llygoden's chest trembled and then suddenly burst open, growing almost instantly from tiny sprout to sturdy sapling as the elf's body seemed to crumble in upon itself, transforming into rich nourishing loam in the space of a heartbeat, leaving nothing but the small oak tree to show he ever existed.

Dylluan sighed as he looked around the circle, giving everyone a chance to compose themselves. There were many faces with tears, but others had a look of anger and determination as well. The young elf's death would not be forgotten, nor forgiven, should the murderer be found. When everyone was looking at him once more, he completed the ceremony. "_As Llygoden is departed from the world of Cymru, now one with the Ancestors, so let us close the gates between the Otherworld. Let the Tree recede into the realm of the Other, let the Well now be only water and let the Fire now be only smoke and ash. Let all be as it was before. Let the gates be closed_."

The villagers spoke together to end the ceremony, many of their voices rough with tears. "_Let the gates be closed_." The drums ended their steady beat as the final word was spoken, leaving an echoing silence throughout the sacred grove. Dylluan silently gestured and the candle flames went out. Llygoden was gone.

In the end, Myrddin had to carry Gavin home, because he hadn't wanted to leave Llygoden's gravesite; the loss of the bond with his godfather, and the resultant disruption of his magical core, amplified his grief to a nearly unbearable level. Gavin had finally drifted into an exhausted sleep with the aid of a weak sleeping potion, and Myrddin was sitting beside his bed in case he woke again.

"_Great Grandmother, why did someone kill Llygoden_?" Gwydion asked later with a tear roughened voice. He'd been unable to sleep again after he'd awoken from a nightmare, and was curled up in a chair with Etain.

Etain considered her answer for a moment then decided the boy was old enough at nine to know the truth of what was happening, especially since it concerned him and his brother's safety. "_Llygoden was trying to find out about a group of people who want to take you from us so they can use you to make themselves more important_," she explained. "_They think if they have control of you, they will have more power, and will be able to make the High Council do things the way they want_."

Gwydion nodded his understanding. The Goddess had been explaining a lot of things to the twins lately; the different political factions in Cymru, the splits in the priesthood, the inter clan rivalries, and the histories of previous wars against the Dark and the way trouble repeated itself. "_Was it the ones who want to close the World Gates?_" he asked quietly. Etain nodded thoughtfully, agreeing that they were the most likely suspects. She was surprised Gwydion knew about that. "_Do you think they'll try to take us_?" It was one of his greatest fears; now that he had a family, he didn't want to loose it.

"_They might, child_." Etain sighed. "_We'll have to be careful, especially when your Grandfather goes to find out why Llygoden was killed_."

Gwydion shifted against her as another thought came to him. "_Can you tell me about godfather bonds_?" he asked, puzzled about something he felt in his own magic. He had never noticed any difference between his and Gavin's magic, until a part of his brother's was gone. Gwydion had gone into his core and examined a slender strand of magic extending outwards from a place where his brother now had a ragged hole. He'd never paid particular attention to the strand, since Gavin had had one as well and he'd assumed it was normal, but with Llygoden's death his brother's was gone and it had started him thinking.

"_When a baby is born the parents choose someone to watch over and guide their child. There is a magical bond formed between the godparent and the child which allows them to help the child control their magic if something happens to the parents in the first few years; without this help a small child's magic can sometimes get out of control if they're angry or frightened and injure themselves or others around them. The bond helps ground the child's magic until they are old enough to control it themselves_," Etain explained. She wasn't sure why Gwydion was asking, but assumed it was because Gavin's magic had changed with the loss of the bond.

"_Do I have a godfather or godmother?_" Gwydion asked, puzzled because he didn't remember anything in the naming ceremony that would have given him one.

"_No, we didn't name one because you were already old enough that you really didn't need it and you were going to start your training soon anyway. Llygoden offered to be your godfather as well, but we thought it might be too much of a shock for your magic, so soon after your bonding with Gavin_."

Gwydion thought for several minutes, reaching to feel the thin strand that extended from his core. He carefully tugged on the strand, feeling a resistance, as if it were connected to something…or someone. "_Great Grandmother, I think I do have a godparent_," he said finally. "_Gavin and I both have strands of magic that went out from our cores – one big one between me and Gavin, and a little one going somewhere else. Gavin's little one is gone now, but mine is still there_."

Etain looked down at her great grandson thoughtfully. 'I wonder…maybe we didn't ask enough questions about Gwydion's past in the human world; it might be worth while checking for more information,' she thought. 'I'll have to speak with Myrddin about this.'

* * *

A short distance away in the forest, a centaur stood quietly, his face raised to the sky. "Mars is bright tonight…," he murmured with a troubled expression. 

Beside him, a second centaur turned his face to follow the track of a shooting star as it crossed Orion's belt then disappeared with a flash, as if it had struck the brightest star in Canis Major. He stiffened as a vision took him. "Prophecies children must steal the Dog Star from the soul killers before he is lost. They will need his guidance and protection in the coming days," he whispered, lost in a fog of possibilities.

The first centaur nodded thoughtfully as he heard the seer's words. "I will let the children know, when it is time."

Far away, in a place of total despair and dreams more terrible than any mortal nightmare, an emaciated man with shaggy black hair stirred restlessly in his exhausted sleep. Something had just tugged gently on his magical core.

* * *

AN - Hope this one brought out the tissues. Stay tuned for the next chapter - more danger and tears to come! 


	14. A Night Out Gone Wrong

AN - Sorry about the slow update - my muse got locked in a closet and went into hybernation.

All conversations in this chapter are in English, or a reasonable facimile of...given the speaker.

* * *

PHOENIX and DRAGON: Through the World Gate

Chapter 14

The Hog's Head was quiet, it was nearly 9:00 at night, and only a few less than reputable characters lurked in the darker corners. It was mid-winter and a heavy snow was falling, Christmas was past and Valentines Day was still weeks away, so there were few customers. The barkeep, a tall thin man with long stringy grey hair and beard, and wire rimmed glasses, was wiping disinterestedly at the top of the bar with a dirty rag when the front door opened with a bang and a huge figure filled the opening.

"Eve'nin Aberforth," Hagrid called loudly as he walked to the bar, his huge boots hitting the floor like anvils, causing little ripples in the other customer's drinks. "Cold night out 'ere." He brushed snow off the shoulders of his moleskin coat and leaned his pink umbrella against the front of the bar before he sat carefully on a stool, wincing as he heard a threatening creak from the unfortunate piece of furniture. He began rummaging through his seemingly bottomless pockets for his coin purse, emptying various odd objects onto the bar, including a rather rumpled barn owl, before he found it.

"What'll it be Rubeus," the barkeep asked, then poured a tall tumbler full of fire whiskey and slid it across the bar when Hagrid asked for his usual. "Anything new?"

"Filch 'ad 'is 'ands full again with them Weasley twins," Hagrid whispered, looking around to make sure nobody was listening, although his idea of a whisper was loud enough to be heard across the entire bar. "They turned Mrs. Norris blue and stuck 'er to the wall in the dungeons, Professer Snape found 'er right after supper," he confided, his black eyes glinting with humor. "They shouldn't uv' done that! Dumbledore's give'n 'em detention with me every nigh' for a week…won't be able to come back te see yeh till that's over." He stared morosely into his suddenly empty tumbler. "Couldn't le' Filch av' 'em though, he kept muttering about manacles and whips…."

Aberforth snickered, pleased that his brother was having to deal with such rambunctious children. "Their just firsties, aren't they? How much trouble could they possibly cause?"

"Dunno how, but last week they managed to turn all the Slytherins hair red," Hagrid smiled as he remembered how funny it had been. An entire table full of children suddenly realizing their hair was Gryffindor red. "Not that anyone could prove it were them, but Professor Snape was right furious. Never seen 'em so mad…." Hagrid eagerly accepted a refill on his tumbler and took a big swallow. "Week before that everyone in Hufflepuff started barking like dogs during lunch," he started chuckling as he remembered.

A tall man with long black hair rose from a nearby booth and took a seat beside Hagrid, setting an empty bottle of butterbeer on the bar. "Another butterbeer, if you don't mind," the man asked quietly. Hagrid turned to look at the newcomer, realizing he'd never seen him before. The man passed a couple knuts across the bar and took a long drink from the bottle Aberforth passed him. "I heard you talking about a couple pranksters…sounds like they're quite a handful," he commented, turning to look at the half-giant. "You work up at the castle?"

"Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of the Keys and Grounds Keeper at Hogwarts," the big man rumbled proudly. "Pleased to meet yeh…" He stuck out his hand expectantly, waiting for the stranger to introduce himself.

"Bleys Deverell," Myrddin responded, reaching out to shake Hagrid's hand. He winced as he felt the bones in his hand grind together, and pulled it back quickly before it was crushed. "You seem to know a lot about the castle," he commented, sipping his beer.

Hagrid puffed his chest out proudly, and proceeded to tell the stranger everything about the school. Aberforth listened, watching the stranger while wiping absently at various mugs and glasses with the same rag he'd been wiping the bar with.

A number of tumblers of fire whisky later, they had moved to a table in one corner of the pub and talk had turned to other things. Hagrid was sobbing into his beard, wiping his eyes with one huge hand as he explained the events of that terrible Halloween night when the Potter's were attacked in Godric's Hollow.

"Sirius Black, he was poor Harry's Godfather yeh know, wanted me teh give him teh him, but Dumbledore'd told me teh bring 'em… I hated teh do it, yeh know, but Dumbledore trusted me teh bring Harry teh 'em. Great man Dumbledore…." Hagrid stopped to wipe his eyes again and sniffed loudly. "Shouldn't uv done it…those Dursley's were terrible muggles," he continued sadly. "Poor Harry…."

"What happened to Black?" Myrddin asked casually, hoping to get a lead on Gwydion's human godfather. Aberforth's eyes sharpened and he quietly reached for a piece of parchment and a quill.

"Went and blew up a street full of muggles and killed little Peter Pettigrew, the Potter's other friend," Hagrid answered finally, his head starting to droop slightly as the level of fire whiskey in his tumbler got lower. "Took him teh Azkaban…terrible place….," he shuddered suddenly, remembering the time he'd spent there after he was expelled from school, and gulped the remainder of his fire whiskey down.

"Is he still there?" Myrddin sipped at his butterbeer, hoping Hagrid had more information.

"Yeh, he's still there. Can't understand…he was James's best friend, they were like brothers…can't understand how he could give 'em over teh He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named like that."

Myrddin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Everything he'd heard so far from Hagrid agreed with what he'd heard from other people he'd spoken to, but nobody had told him Sirius was Gwydion's godfather. He looked up as the door of the pub opened and several figures entered, shaking snow off their cloaks. They took seats in a booth nearby, and one of them, a square-jawed wizard with dirty blond hair, walked up to the bar to speak with Aberforth. Myrddin turned back to Hagrid, and refilled the gamekeeper's glass again from the bottle of fire whiskey he'd bought sometime earlier.

"You aren't from around here, are you…," A voice came from behind Myrddin, and he turned to see who was speaking. The blond wizard who had been speaking to Aberforth stepped closer and pulled another chair to the table, taking a seat across from Myrddin beside a now snoring Hagrid. "You've been asking a lot of questions around Hogsmead…mind telling me why?"

"Is it any of your business?" Myrddin asked cautiously, pushing his chair back slightly. "May I ask who you are?"

"Sturgis Podmore, and I'm asking the questions here." The wizard slowly slid his wand out of his cloak pocket, holding it under the table out of sight. "Why have you been asking about the Potters?" He aimed his wand at the stranger, and turned his head slightly to nod at the other three wizards in the booth. They stood, and stepped forward to stand behind and to both sides of Myrddin.

Myrddin glanced sideways as the wizards surrounded him. "Not very friendly, are you," he said calmly, moving his hand from the table to lay it casually in his lap, twisting his wrist to drop a throwing knife out of an arm sheath into his hand as he did so. "

"You're going to have to come with us," one of the wizards behind Myrddin said as he roughly grabbed the half-elf's shoulder. Myrddin pushed his chair back suddenly and grabbed the table, flipping it onto Podmore and knocking him backwards onto the floor. Hagrid woke with a roar and swung his umbrella around, drunkenly pointing it at one of the wizards as he mumbled incoherently.

The situation went downhill from there. Myrddin lashed out with his knife, striking the man holding him across the arm. Sudden yells of "Stupify" rang out, red flashes of light crisscrossed the pub, and people dove for the floor to avoid the curses. Flashes of blue and yellow light marked where Myrddin's spells went in reply.

When the firing finally stopped, Myrddin lay motionless, stunned by four of the wizards at once and in a full body bind, a trickle of blood running across the floor from where he'd hit his head on the corner of a booth as he fell.

"Dumbledore's not going to be happy with this," Dung said as he knelt, reaching to roll the motionless stranger onto his back so he could search through his pockets. "He's injured, we need to get him upstairs." He pulled a wand out of the man's cloak and looked at it curiously before setting it on the floor and casting some sort of charm over it. "Curious…," he muttered.

"What?" Podmore asked impatiently, casting a healing charm onto the stranger to stop the bleeding from his head wound.

"This isn't a wand…there's no core."


	15. Through the World Gate

AN - I hope you're enjoying the story! Let me know if you don't like the way things are going?

_Conversations in italic are in Elvish,_ the parts that are underlined are Centaur - all others are English.

* * *

PHOENIX and DRAGON: Through the World Gate 

Chapter 15

"Dumbledore's not going to be happy with this," Dung said as he knelt, reaching to roll the motionless stranger onto his back so he could search through his pockets. "He's injured; we need to get him upstairs." He pulled a wand out of the man's cloak and looked at it curiously before setting it on the floor and casting some sort of charm over it. "Curious…," he muttered.

"What?" Podmore asked impatiently, casting a healing charm onto the stranger to stop the bleeding from his head wound.

"This isn't a wand…there's no core."

"Sturgis, I thought I told you to bring the stranger to me so I could interrogate him…I didn't tell you to put him into a coma!" Dumbledore stepped back from the bed where the stranger lay and turned to frown at the blond wizard. "It is going to be rather difficult to get answers from him now."

"What do you want us to do with him?" Podmore asked, moving to stand beside the bed.

"Take him to St. Mungo's and drop him in the emergency room, without anyone seeing you if possible. Set someone to watch his room and we'll see who comes looking for him," Dumbledore ordered. "We'll get answers one way or another…."

* * *

"_Great Grandmother? When is Grandfather coming back_?" Gavin looked at the ancient seer hopefully, but she shook her head in answer. Myrddin had been visiting other Groves for three months, only coming home for a few days at a time, and the last she'd heard he was planning on going to the human world to try and find Gwydion's godfather. There had been no news at all from him for several weeks, and she was starting to worry. 

"_I don't know, Gavin_," Etain sighed, her heart heavy. She'd been scrying for news of Myrddin and wasn't happy with what she'd seen – too many shadows surrounded him. She'd been unable to identify where he was, other than it seemed to be some sort of healer's hall. He hadn't moved in more than a week, and seemed to be unconscious. "_I've asked a couple of the Gate guards to look for him in the human world, but I haven't heard anything yet_." The elves guarding the World Gate were the most knowledgeable about the human world in Cymru, since they had the most contact with it, and most could understand English, but even they knew little of what was happening.

Gavin and Gwydion frowned, not happy with the answer their great grandmother had given them. They'd both been having unsettling dreams where their grandfather was frantically calling to them through a heavy fog, but they were unable to reach him.

"_It's a beautiful day – would you like to go for a walk on the beach? The storm yesterday may have washed up some new shells_," Etain offered, hoping to cheer the twins up. "_We can drift to the marker stone there so you can practice, and maybe we'll take a snack with us as well_." She smiled when the boys grinned at her, happy to get out of the village after being kept in by a full week of rain.

A wide strip of wet sand lay at the base of the rocky cliff, waves lapping gently against it as the tide went out. Sea shells glistened in the sun, and piles of wet seaweed lay strewn across the sand. Sea birds shrieked overhead, fighting over small crabs they were picking off the newly exposed rocks.

Etain spread a blanket on a flat rock that was sheltered from the cool breeze off the ocean, and carefully sat beside their lunch basket to watch the boys as they ran back and forth on the beach.

"_Gwydion! Look, here's another one_!" Gavin called, holding up a perfect scallop shell. "_Mine's bigger than the one you found_," he taunted, his green eyes flashing mischieviously.

"_Is not_!" Gwydion yelled back, making a face at his brother. "_I found another one too, and it's the biggest_!" The resulting argument led to the boys throwing bits of sand covered seaweed at each other, acting like six year olds instead of their true ages, and eventually a contest to see who could knock a pebble off a larger rock with a whip made of a long tendril of kelp.

Etain smiled at their game as she set their food out; she knew it was all in fun and neither really cared who won it. She was just happy to see them smiling again. "_Wash the sand off your hands and come eat_," she called. "_Lunch is ready_!"

It had been a beautiful day, and the sunset promised to be spectacular. The sun was slowly sinking into a bank of clouds as the three climbed up the cliff towards the drift marker, turning the sky red and orange with streaks of purple towards the east and a bright silver edge to the clouds. "_Let's climb to the top of the cliff and watch the sunset_," Etain suggested. She stopped suddenly as they reached the top of the cliff, holding her hand out to touch Gwydion's shoulder and keep him from going any further.

"_Something's not right…_," she murmured, looking cautiously around the area.

"_There's someone here_," Gwydion answered, lifting his head to sniff the wind.

Gavin nodded agreement, a worried expression on his face suddenly turning to fear. "_There's a drift ward up_!"

Etain suddenly waved her hand in a circle, palm forward, and spoke the words to form a protective shield just as a powerful cutting spell hit her across the chest and shoulder, knocking her to the ground before the shield could form completely.

"_No_!" Etain gasped as Gavin instinctively turned to help her. "_It's too late for me. Run_!" Both boys took off, dodging their unseen attackers as best they could, but there were too many of them.

"_NO! Gavin_!" Gwydion screamed as he saw his brother forced to the ground. He struggled as someone grabbed him, twisting his arm painfully behind his back. He gasped as a strange smelling rag was held over his mouth and nose, sending him into the darkness. The last thing he saw was Etain, blood pooling around her as she went limp, the light in her eyes fading.

Gwydion moaned as he awoke. His head ached and he felt nauseous, so he sat up carefully. The room was dark, but there was enough light that he could see Gavin on a bed on the other side of the room, still unconscious apparently. He closed his eyes, and a single tear fell from his eye as he realized Etain was dead.

":- _Grieve later child...you need to escape while you can. There were too many ways they can enforce obedience_.-:" Gwydion froze as he heard that in his mind. There were a number of spells and potions to make someone follow another's will, and he was surprised their captors hadn't already bound them to their cause. They had to get free as quickly as possible before that happened.

Gwydion quickly wiped his cheek, then looked around at their temporary prison. There was a small window in one wall, but it was covered by a roughly hewn shutter. A door on the opposite wall had a strip of light showing through the uneven gap underneath it. He heard the faint sound of voices, but was unable to distinguish what they were saying.

"_Gavin_," Gwydion said softly, crossing the room to gently shake his brother's shoulder. "_Wake up_…."

"_Ohh…my head hurts_…," he moaned, pushing Gwydion's hand away. "_She's dead… isn't she_?" Gavin asked hesitantly as he opened his eyes, already knowing the answer but hoping it was wrong. Gwydion sighed and nodded sadly.

"_Where are we_…?"

"_I don't know_," Gwydion answered, moving to check the door. "_The door's locked and warded, and there's a drift ward up_." He walked to the window and pushed on the shutter. "_There's a latch, its locked too, but I think we can get the hinges open on this side…do you have your knife still? They've taken mine._"

Gavin joined his brother at the window, pulling a small knife out of a hidden pocket in his leggings. Several minutes later, he dropped the hinge pins to the floor and carefully swung the shutter open, one shutter dangling from the other by the lock on the latch, and looked out the window. They were in a room on the second floor of a roughly constructed log building sitting partway down the side of a steep brush covered hillside. There was a stand of taller trees at the bottom of the valley and he could see what looked like a small creek.

"_It could be worse, I guess_," Gavin commented. "_At least there's a little cover for you_."

"_First thing is to get out of here. You can fly, but it's too far for me to jump. Help me tear up the sheets_," Gwydion pulled a sheet off one of the beds and began to tear it into wide strips. Gavin tied them together as fast as his brother handed them to him. "_Good. Tie it to the bed frame_…." They froze as they heard the sound of voices raised in loud argument coming closer.

"_GO_!" Gavin hissed, changing quickly into an eagle and flinging himself out of the window. Gwydion threw the improvised rope out and climbed onto the window sill, turning and grabbing the knotted sheet as he slid down the side of the building.

"_They're getting away_!" A voice yelled from the open window, just as Gwydion reached the ground. "_Catch them, you fools_!"

Gwydion ran down the hillside towards the trees, changing into his wolf form as soon as he reached the sheltering darkness under their bare canopy. He paused for a moment, looking for Gavin.

"Kweee!" Gwydion tilted his head, his ears perking up as he heard the soft chirp from off to his right and then ran quickly in that direction, following his brother's lead as he moved through the bushes along the creek for about a hundred feet, then climbed the hill and stealthily circled to the opposite side of the building from where they'd escaped before beginning to run once more. The boys soon left their captors behind; they were searching in the wrong direction since they didn't know about the boy's other forms and had assumed the children took the easier path and went down the hill in an attempt to get beyond the drift ward. The boys kept going until the sky started to brighten with the approaching dawn, covering nearly thirty miles before they stopped.

"_What should we do now_?" Gwydion asked quietly as they rested for a while out of the wind against a fallen log. "_The Lord says Great Grandmother has crossed over. If we go back to Oakwood Grove the Council may not be able to protect us, and it will cause a lot of trouble for the village_." He pulled his knees up and wrapped his arms around them, trying to get warm. They had been lucky, it was overcast and windy, but the rain was holding off so far. "_We could drift, but I don't know where we could go that we'd be safe - they can trace us if we use the drift markers. Anywhere we go, they're going to try and kidnap us again…and I don't want anyone else to be killed trying to protect us_."

Gavin nodded sadly, "_Awel said the High Council wants us to be their wards – this would give them all the reason they needed to force Oakwood to give us up, for our safety of course. We have to find Grandfather_."

"_It's not going to be easy_," Gavin sighed. "_We need a way to get through the World Gate, and then we'll have to find him…somehow_." They looked at each other wearily, knowing it wouldn't be easy.

* * *

"It is time," the centaur said quietly. "The children will be leaving tonight." His companion nodded solemnly and began filling a small pack with journey rations and healing potions. 

The darkness of the next night found the boys lying on their stomachs under a large holly bush, watching the guards on the Cymru side of the World Gate. It turned out that their captors had only taken them a relatively short distance from the Grove, and their travel the previous night had luckily been in the right direction. They'd hunted, and then found a small cave and rested through the day before moving to a place a short distance away from the Gate once evening set in.

"Hissssst!"

The twins froze, trying to identify the odd sound.

"Hissssssst!" It came again, sounding impatient, and this time they spotted what, or who rather, had made it.

"Newlyn!" Gwydion slid backwards out of the bush and crawled over to where the young centaur stood concealed behind a large tree. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help you, stupid," Newlyn hissed. "My father sent you some supplies," he said as he handed the small pack to the elfling. "I'll distract the guards while you slip through the Gate."

Gwydion chewed thoughtfully on his lower lip for a moment, and then looked at his friend with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Do you think you could draw them off if I put a glamour on you – maybe made you look like one of us?"

Newlyn grinned and nodded his approval. "I'm also supposed to give you a message." He cleared his throat and recited from memory. "Prophecies children must steal the Dog Star from the soul killers before he is lost. They will need his guidance and protection in the coming days." Both boys looked at him blankly. "It's something to do with Gwydion's godfather I think," Newlyn informed them. "I overheard my father talking about it."

A short time later the guards straightened and moved a short distance away from the Gate as a shrill call came out of the darkness and the form of a small black haired boy staggered into sight between the trees.

"_Help! Oh, help me_!" The boy held one hand out, as if begging for help. "_I need your…cough, cough…help_!" He fell against a tree as if exhausted, clinging to it desperately for a moment before turning to stagger back into the darkness.

"_This…way…Please…Help_!" The boy sobbed, leading the guards further away from the Gate at a remarkable speed, given his apparent exhaustion.

"_Now_," Gavin whispered, watching as the last guard moved away from his post. Newlyn's acting skills were impressive and the deception had been effective enough to clear the way for them. "_You activate the portal, and I'll disillusion us_."

Gwydion nodded as he stepped into the rune circle and began to chant softly. The power required to open the Gate was more than most elves possessed, so normally more than one person would perform the activation ritual…they didn't have that luxury, however. Gwydion would have to do it himself, because Gavin would have to cast the spell needed to hide their entry to the human world before they passed through the Gate, and then get them out of the area as quickly as possible once they were on the other side. A great deal of power would be required to hold the spell that would hide them stable while they crossed, but waiting until they exited the Gate to cast the spell wasn't an option. They couldn't hide the Gate activation, so they had to make it look as if someone had opened the Gate but not crossed. There could be no trace of their passage or the hunters would be after them. The High Council would never agree to what they planned and would likely do anything possible to get them back… and under their control.

Gwydion staggered through the portal just before it closed, gasping and shaken, and Gavin caught his arm to pull him away from an approaching guard.

"_This way Gwydion_," Gavin whispered. "_We need to drift…do you have enough energy to hang onto me_?" His brother nodded weakly, leaning heavily against him with the last of his strength.

Gavin closed his eyes and quickly reached out with his senses, finally locating one of the marker stones Myrddin had taken them to on that long ago day when they'd gone to find Harry. "_Alright, hang on_." They _drifted_…appearing suddenly beside a water fountain in a small park. The marker stone was set as part of a low wall around a small tree. Gwydion collapsed onto the wall, gasping for breath. Gavin turned slowly, looking for danger with all his senses, before he joined his brother on the wall.

"_I think we're safe for now_," Gavin said quietly, tucking his brother's cloak around him against a cold wind. "_It will take them some time to trace us, if they even realize it was us_." He dug into the pack and pulled out a couple bars of compressed fruit, grain, and nuts, meant to be used as emergency travel rations. "_Here, eat this – it will help you get your energy back_." Gwydion sighed wearily, chewing the bar without enthusiasm and washing it down with cold water from the fountain.

"_Where are we_?"

"_Little Whinging, just down the street from where you used to live_," Gavin admitted with a frown. "_I'm sorry…it's the only place I knew it would be safe to drift to_." Gwydion nodded, accepting that it was the safest place they could be at the moment. He wanted to leave as quickly as possible though – this place had too many bad memories.

"_Look_," Gwydion pointed towards a group of trees across the field behind the park. "_I'll find a place to hide until I have recovered a little, and you can go aloft and see if you can find someplace better for us_."

Gavin nodded reluctantly. It was dark and he hated flying at night, it was against every instinct he had in eagle form, but it was the best plan he could think of as well. He hugged Gwydion and then watched as his brother changed into a wolf, picked up the pack in his strong jaws, and started towards the trees at a weary trot.

Gwydion shifted slightly where he was curled up in his nest of dry leaves, raising his muzzle to sniff the air for danger, before tucking it back under his fluffy tail to warm it. Gavin had been gone for hours and he was beginning to worry. Clouds had moved in and it was going to rain, although as cold as it was, the rain would likely change into sleet before morning. They needed shelter soon, and a safe place to make their plans while he regained his strength.

They got lucky…Gavin had located faint traces of another marker stone close enough to fly to, and he'd gone to check it out. Just before dawn they'd _drifted_ into the middle of a tangled forest, bypassing the cracked marker stone set in the center of what was apparently the remnants of an ancient Grove. There were still wards up that prevented humans from being aware of it or entering by accident. Gwydion had shifted back into a wolf and found them a dry cave where they would be sheltered from the weather. The wards were still strong enough that it was safe to use magic without fear of detection, so it wouldn't take them long to transfigure and conjure what they needed to be comfortable while they searched for their grandfather and Gwydion's godfather.

Several days later, Gwydion's magic reserves were restored to their normal levels so they began to plan.

"_I'd like to try and find my godfather first_," he began. "_We need someone who knows the human world. We don't even know where to begin to look for Grandfather_."

Gavin nodded in agreement. "_You said you had a link to him…can you follow it_?"

Gwydion closed his eyes and reached down the link, trying to determine distance and direction. "_Yes…I think it's_…." He pointed in the direction he thought the strongest pull came from then opened his eyes. "_It's that way_." Gavin turned to face the same direction and reached out to find a marker stone. They'd discovered a long time ago that Gavin had a greater sensitivity to the peculiar energies the marker stones radiated, so he would locate them and guide them during drifting, while Gwydion provided the actual power for their movement.

"_Got one. We'd better be disillusioned – who knows where we'll end up_."

Six _drifts _later, several near mishaps with their landings, a couple good frights…and finally they stood on a rocky beach, looking out across the churning water at a forbidding, mist shrouded fortress.

"_He's out there somewhere, and so are the soul killers – I can feel them from here_," Gwydion said quietly. "_We're going to have to do this quickly, it's going to take a lot of energy to hold them off and I'm not sure how long I can keep my shields up_." Gavin nodded, already having figured that out. The wraiths would be drawn to the pain in Gwydion's memories and it would be difficult for him to keep them out.

"_At least there's a marker stone – it's really old though, and it seems to be a Goblin one_," Gavin remarked as he made sure the pack containing the healing potions was securely tied. They didn't know what condition Gwydion's godfather would be in when they found him, so they came prepared.

"_I'll concentrate on finding him; you keep the soul killers away from us, since you're better with the holy shield_."

Gavin reached for his brother's hand and nodded. "_Let's do it_."

They _drifted_, appearing in what seemed to be an unused storage room, if the broken boxes and crates a quickly cast mage light revealed were any indication. It might once have been a reception room of some sort, from the faintly visible goblin runes around the stone door frame and the marker stone set into the floor. They cast a quick spell to hide any noise they might make and masked their scent in case there were guard dogs, dismissed the mage light, and then opened the door carefully to find a corridor, dimly lit by flickering torches. Faint voices could be heard to the left, around a bend in the corridor. Gwydion pointed to a set of stone stairs to the right, leading downwards into the darkness.

"_Down there_…," he whispered. They moved silently down the stairs, and then along a dank passageway lined with barred cells, some containing the pitiful remnants of human beings.

Halfway down it they froze – a dark cloaked figure drifted out of a cross corridor and turned to confront them, soul numbing despair and an icy cold flowing off of it. The man in the cell next to them woke and began to moan as the dementor's effect hit him.

Gwydion shivered as everything went dark; he heard a woman scream and saw a flash of green light. "No, not Harry…take me instead…."

Gavin strengthened the shields on his mind and a pure white light filled the corridor as he began the incantation for a holy shield, driving the apparition backwards. The dementor floated silently for a moment, just outside the furthest reach of the glowing shield surrounding the boys, before drifting away into the darkness.

"_Gwydion_," Gavin whispered frantically, pulling on his brother's arm to get his attention. "_It's gone now, I chased it away_."

"_That... was a... soul killer_?" Gwydion answered shakily from where he had collapsed onto the floor. "_I heard my mother die, I think_…." He worked quickly to strengthen his occlumency shields, angry that he'd let the wraith affect him like that.

Gavin put his arm around his brother and helped him up. "_We need to get out of here as quickly as we can. I can hold them off if they only come a few at a time, but they affect you so badly that we'd be helpless if they attacked. They can see us through the illusion hiding us too_." He shook Gwydion gently and watched with concern as his brother finally focused on him. "_Let's go_?!"

Gwydion nodded and stood on shaky legs. "_He's this way…down one level more I think, we'll need to find the stairs_."

Several side passages later, three dementors blocked the way. Gavin cast the holy shield again and the light drove them back…but they didn't leave. Several more glided up behind them, staying just out of reach of the shield's effect. Gwydion shivered and strengthened his occlumency shields to their strongest, but the despair still seeped through. He cast holy shield as well, and they were eventually driven off, but both boys knew they would be back. Another set of stairs down, a quick unlocking spell to open a sturdy wood door reinforced with iron bands, and they finally reached the area where Gwydion thought his godfather was being held.

"_He's here…somewhere close_," Gwydion said. He closed his emerald eyes and lowered his shields as he walked slowly down the row of cells, pausing in front of each for a moment as he tried to pinpoint the right one using passive legilimency. "_Here…this is where he is_." He opened his eyes and looked into the cell.

A skeletal figure in ragged robes lay curled up on its side on a thin layer of moldy straw, facing the cell door. Long filthy hair was tangled around a pale face with dark circles around the sunken eyes; gaunt cheeks were partially covered by a straggly beard. The only sign the man was still alive was the slow movement of his chest as he breathed.

"_Can you open the door_?" Gavin asked softly, keeping his eyes on the dementors flowing down the corridor behind them. "_We need to hurry, the soul killers are gathering and I think they're going to attack soon. I think they're angry…and I don't think I can hold them back for very long_."

Gwydion nodded as he studied the spells holding the door shut. "_There's an alarm and a locking spell on the door, and a magic suppression spell on the cell itself…I'll have it open in a second, but we have to bring him out of the cell to drift_." He concentrated for a moment then reached out to touch the lock. A quiet click as the lock was disabled and then he pulled the door open with a screech of rusty hinges and stepped in, falling to his knees beside the ragged man.

"Wake up…we're going to get you out of here," Gwydion called softly, reaching out to shake his godfather's boney shoulder. The man's eyes snapped open and he rolled away, ending up crouching in the corner with a wild look in his grey eyes.

"Who…how did you…," he stuttered, looking at Gwydion in shock. "No, it's just a dream…not real…," he mumbled, bringing one shaky hand up to rub his face. "Just a dream…."

"It's not a dream…we're real," Gwydion said softly as he moved closer. He could hear the sound of an alarm going off in the levels above them, and the sounds of aurors calling to each other. "We're going to get you out of here." He reached out and touched Sirius gently on the cheek. "You're not dreaming," he said reassuringly. Sirius reached up and touched Gwydion's hand, tears starting down his face as he realized the boy wasn't a dream.

"Who are you?" The black haired man whispered softly, his eyes studying the boy's face in confusion. "Harry?" He moved out of the dark corner, pulling the boy with him into the corridor where the light was better. "Harry?! But how…they said you were dead!" He dropped Gwydion's arm and backed away, shaking his head, denying what his eyes were telling him. "No…not real…you're dead…they said you were dead!"

"They lied to you! I'm alive. I'm really here, and we're getting you out of here!" Gwydion said reassuringly as he patted his godfather's filthy shoulder.

Gavin looked past his brother and saw the dementors starting to move closer, despite the pain the holy shield was causing them. He spotted several auror's coming down the stairs from the other direction. They hadn't seen the boys yet, but they would in a minute.

"_Gwydion, we're out of time. Let's go_!"

Gwydion nodded and then reached out and grabbed one of his godfather's bony wrists. Gavin put his hand on the man's other arm, and then they _drifted_, pulling Sirius along with them.

The dementors drifted forward as the shield disappeared, milling around in front of the empty cell in confusion until the auror's arrived and drove them back.

The front page of the next day's Daily Prophet had a picture of a black haired man with wild eyes above a large headline: "Sirius Black Escapes Azkaban! Mass Murderer on the Loose! (See page 3)."

* * *


	16. Azkaban Rescue

AN- I've done quite a bit of revising on previous chapters, especially chapters 9 and 12, so you might want to re-read those to see what changed. Nothing with a huge impact on the plot, but some of the details had to be tweaked to keep the timeline right. I hope you enjoy this!

_All conversations in italics are in Elvish.

* * *

_

PHOENIX and DRAGON: Through the World Gate

Chapter 16

It was the warmth that woke him. It had been so long since he was warm, he'd almost forgot what it felt like. Sirius lay half asleep for a few minutes longer, enjoying the soft bed…bed? His eyes snapped open in shock. There was a rough rock ceiling over him, and when he turned his head he saw a roughly hewn rock wall beside him…was this a cave? How had he gotten out of Azkaban – he didn't remember!

'Where am I? How…Harry!' Sirius struggled with the heavy blankets he was wrapped in and tried to sit up. A slender black haired boy moved into sight, then bent over him and pressed him back down into the blankets. Sirius stared at the ball of light floating over the boy's head…was that a mage light? He looked around dazedly, noticing other lights floating near the ceiling of the cave.

"Please, don't try to get up…you've been very ill for several days and you're not strong enough to sit up yet," the boy insisted softly. "Are you thirsty?" He had a lilting accent, something like Welsh…but not quite. Sirius had heard a similar sounding accent when he'd visited James and Lily in Godric's Hollow, before it all went to hell that is, and he ended up in Azkaban.

Sirius nodded cautiously, staring at the boy. The boy looked familiar, and yet he didn't remember meeting anyone who looked like this. The boy was about 4 foot 5 inches, maybe a little taller, dressed in a tunic like long sleeve shirt and close fitting leggings of a dark brown, soft looking fabric. He looked closer…those green eyes were almost like Lily's, but hers didn't have a golden ring around the iris…the boy's face was slender with runes tattooed on both of the temples in a line almost to the high cheekbones…the pointed chin…it reminded him of James, even with the odd runes…but the hair, silky black, worn long and braided down the child's back, and the pointed ear showing where he'd tucked a stray strand behind it…that wasn't anything he remembered.

Wait…pointed ears?

"Who are you…where's Harry?" Sirius asked in a voice rough from disuse. The boy helped him sit up enough to drink, and held the cup of water to his lips when it was clear his hands were shaking too much to hold it himself.

"I'm Gavin," the boy explained. "My brother is out hunting right now, but he should be back in a little while. I'll be right back with some broth. You need to eat, but I'm afraid your stomach won't handle anything heavy yet. Drink this," he continued, holding a slender wooden tube to the man's lips. "It's a healing draught, you still have a fever."

The black haired man hesitantly swallowed the potion, surprised when it didn't taste as awful as he expected, and then took several sips of water to wash the taste out of his mouth.

Sirius stared at Gavin as he walked to the other side of the cave where a fire was burning in a rough fireplace, still confused. 'Brother? Harry doesn't have a brother, and yet…this boy's magic felt familiar….' He lifted his hand to rub sleep from his eyes, and realized it was clean, for the first time in many years. Someone had bathed him, apparently while he was unconscious. His hair was clean and brushed, laying soft against his neck, and his beard was gone! Where ever he was, and whoever this boy was, he apparently meant him no harm.

Gavin patiently fed Sirius a cup of broth, a spoonful at a time, along with several strengthening potions, and the older man fell asleep as soon as he was done.

The next time Sirius woke, it was to see a large grey wolf trot into the cave carrying a rabbit. The wolf dropped the rabbit on the hearth, where Gavin picked it up and began to skin it.

"You could have at least gutted it before you brought it in," Gavin scolded the wolf, to Sirius's amusement. He couldn't help but laugh softly at the guilty expression on the wolf's face. The wolf turned to look at him then walked over to the bed.

"You're a big one, aren't you," Sirius murmured, holding his hand out for the wolf to sniff, then scratching it behind the ear the way he knew felt good. He laughed again when the wolf licked his hand and seemed to grin at him. "What's your name boy?" He looked over to where Gavin was cutting up the rabbit into small pieces and dropping it into a pot to cook, expecting the dark haired child to answer, and nearly choked when the wolf suddenly turned into another boy, nearly identical to Gavin.

"My name is Gwydion Emrys," he said with a mischievous smile, waving his hand to transfigure a small rock into a three legged stool. "But it used to be Harry Potter," Gwydion added as he took a seat beside the bed, his expression turning serious. "You're my godfather, right?"

"Harry?" Sirius smiled, and hesitantly reached out to touch his godson's cheek. "Yes, I'm your godfather, Sirius Black. You don't look the way I remember you," he said quietly, gazing between Harry and Gavin, comparing them. "Why are you called Gwydion now? I don't understand…"

"Gavin and I did a blood brother ritual – I'm part of his family now," Gwydion explained, shifting on the stool. "Grandfather Myrddin and Gavin rescued me from the people I was living with, my aunt and uncle, when I was four, after they nearly killed me, but the Council was going to send me back, so we had to do something so I could stay. I changed my name because it hurt too much to be Harry anymore. I didn't look the same anyway, so I decided to start a new life with a new name."

Sirius frowned when he heard about the Dursley's abuse. "I'm so sorry Har…Gwydion. You were never supposed to go to Lily's sister. Petunia and her husband were awful people. Do you know why you went to them? I know there was a list with the names of several families who were supposed to take care of you in your parents will, and the Dursley's were never to have you under any circumstances."

"I don't know why I had to live with them, but they weren't very nice to me. They hated me…" Gwydion shook his head sadly. "No, no-one could figure out why I was there. Someone named Dumbledore put me there. Grandfather said there were wards around the house, but nothing special… Why did you get sent to the prison?"

"Dumbledore," Sirius sighed. It all came back to that man; the prophecy, the Potters going into hiding, Harry going to the Dursley's, him not getting a trial... He'd think about it later - this was going to be difficult to explain as it was. "Stupidity, and arrogance I guess." Gwydion raised an eyebrow and stared at his godfather, waiting for him to explain. "You know about magic obviously, so do you know about Voldemort?"

Gwydion nodded. "My parents and I went into hiding because of a prophecy, using a spell that made everyone forget about us."

Sirius nodded. The boy knew more than he expected. "Yes, that's right. It's called the fidelius spell, and it hides the secret inside someone called the Secret Keeper. Your parents asked me to be the Secret Keeper, since James and I were as close as brothers. I thought I was too obvious a choice, and everyone would know it was me. I convinced them to change to another friend of ours, Peter Pettigrew…the rat…." He had to stop for a moment, he was too mad to continue. Gwydion just waited, his head cocked slightly to the side as he watched the emotions flash across Sirius's face. "I was supposed to be the decoy, so Peter could hide and stay safe."

"What happened?" Gwydion extended his senses to read the truth in Sirius's words, and turned to nod at Gavin with a slight smile.

"Peter betrayed us all. He led Voldemort to where James and Lily…and you…were hiding," Sirius murmured, lost in his memories.

"Voldemort killed them…there was a green light…." Gwydion said sadly. "I remembered a little bit when the soul killers got too close."

"Soul killers...you mean dementors? Yes, Voldemort killed your parents," Sirius replied, focusing on Gwydion again. "I had gone to check on Peter, since I hadn't heard from him in a couple days, and I got worried when he wasn't at home. By the time I got to your house, it was too late. A friend of mine, Rubeus Hagrid, had already gotten there – he'd pulled you from what was left of your house. Your parents were dead, but the only injury you had was the cut on your forehead." He looked closer at Gwydion's face and realized he was unmarked. "I'm glad to see it didn't scar."

"It did scar. Lord Herne said it was from an evil curse, and he removed it," Gwydion explained. "Whatever curse is was that hit me, a green one I think, left a bit of something evil in the scar. My Lord said it would cause problems for me, so I'm glad it's gone."

Gwydion's answer raised more questions in Sirius's mind. "Who is Lord Herne?" He asked. "…and what are those runes on your faces?"

"I'll explain later…I'd like to hear how you ended up in prison, Sirius?"

Sirius frowned. He knew Gwydion was keeping something from him, but he owed the boy an explanation. "I was devastated by your parent's deaths, and I guess I went a little crazy. I went hunting for Peter when I couldn't get you, and eventually I cornered him on a street. There were a lot of Muggles, people without magic," he explained. "Peter yelled that I was the one who betrayed James and Lily, then cut off his finger and blew up the street, killing a bunch of people. He must have gone down the sewer…."

Gavin brought a tray over with a steaming pot and pottery cups of herbal tea. Gwydion pulled a small block of wood out of his pocket and waved his hand to transfigure it into a table for him to set it on, then made another low stool for his twin to sit on. Sirius gasped at the casual display of power, adding the wandless magic to the questions he already wanted answers to.

"_Do you believe him_?" Gavin handed Gwydion a cup and helped Sirius sit up.

"_Yes_," Gwydion answered absently, watching his godfather. "_He's telling the truth_."

"How did the man go down the sewer?" Gavin asked as he moved to tuck one of the blankets closer around the gaunt man, then frowned as he saw Sirius shiver and cast a wandless heating charm on the blanket.

"Peter, James and I became animagus' when we were still in school, in order to help a friend of ours," Sirius explained quietly. "James was a stag, Peter was a rat, and I'm a big black dog."

The boys nodded their understanding, and Gwydion handed his godfather a cup of tea before taking a sip from his own cup.

"So Peter changed into a rat and went down the sewer…I think I went blank then…the next thing I really remember the auror's were throwing me into a cell, saying I killed a bunch of muggles, the Potters, and Peter as well," he explained as he sipped his fragrant tea, surprised as how good it tasted. "I never even got a trial…."

"Is Peter still alive?" Gwydion had a hungry expression on his face that reminded Sirius an awful lot of the wolf he'd been earlier.

"Yes, probably…but I have no idea where to find the bastard," Sirius snarled.

Gavin and Gwydion exchanged looks, then started to smile. "If we found him, do you think you could get freed from prison, legally I mean?"

Sirius nodded, unsure why they were asking. "Yes, if we could find Peter I think I could get a trial. All it would take is me being questioned under veratiserum, the truth serum," he explained, "and they'd know the truth."

"I think we might be able to help then," Gavin smirked as he sipped his tea. "He won't get away with betraying Gwydion's parents and framing you, not if I have anything to do with it. Death eaters killed my parents too, the same night Gwydion's were killed, but they were caught and killed right afterwards."

"How can you help?" Sirius could tell the boys were powerful, and they seemed to know quite a bit of magic, but still…they were only nine.

"Gavin's a seer," Gwydion explained with another small smile. "He's quite good at scrying."

Sirius looked from one boy to the other and nodded. If they said they could do it, he saw no reason to doubt them.

"Are you going to explain about the tattoo's and the pointed ears now?"

Gavin grinned as he took a sip of tea. "They're quite normal for elves." They watched with amusement as Sirius's eyes went wide. Gwydion got up and went to retrieve the small iron pot Gavin had put the rabbit into from the fire and another tray with a stack of bowls and some carved wooden spoons on it.

"Elves? But…how? I didn't think there were any left?" Sirius watched as Gwydion spooned the contents of the pot into three brightly colored pottery bowls and slid one to Gavin. "No-one's seen one for hundreds of years!"

"There aren't many left in the human world anymore, mostly just a few guarding the portal between our worlds," Gavin explained, blowing on a spoonful of stew to cool it. "We live in another place, on the other side of the World Gate."

Gwydion nodded and handed Sirius a bowl full of stew, steadying his hands as he took it. "The runes show…our choices, and accomplishments I guess you could say." He watched as Sirius struggled to hold the spoon then reached to take it and the bowl back and began feeding the trembling man. "They show that we are priests of the Lord and Lady, Herd Friends to the Centaurs, shape changers, and allies of the Goblins."

Sirius frowned slightly as he carefully chewed a spoonful of savory stew then took another sip of the tea to clear his throat. "Priests? Aren't you a little young for that?"

Gwydion looked at his brother over the top of his teacup, and smirked as Gavin looked sheepish. "It was sort of an accident…," he mumbled.

Gwydion started smiling when his twin got up to tend the fire, which didn't really need tending, knowing the mistake he'd made about the ritual still embarrassed him. "It happened when we did the pledge that made us brothers," he explained. "We read about it in a book…." Gwydion went on to explain how they'd made a mistake when they copied down the ritual because two pages were stuck together; what they actually did was a ritual that not only claimed each other as brothers, but also pledged them to the service of the God and Goddess. "So you see, we both changed…we'd looked a lot alike before, afterwards we were more or less identical. We're actually half elves now, since I was human and Gavin was nearly full blooded elf, and we can use both elven and human magic. Full elves can't use human magic."

"Don't forget the Centaur and Goblin magics too," Gavin reminded, pouring them each another cup of tea. "We lived underground with a goblin clan for several weeks when we were five, then most of a summer when we were seven, to learn their language and customs; they let us learn some of their magic and a few of their wards. We were too young then to learn any of the harder spells, we had to learn them from books and practice when we returned for shorter visits later, but it was still a lot of fun."

Gwydion nodded agreement. "We trained in forest craft, astronomy, and herbology with the centaurs and they taught us some of their plant and weather magic."

Sirius had choked on his swallow of tea when the boys said that. Goblins _never_ let wizards learn their magics, not even the curse breakers that worked for Gringotts, and he'd never heard that the centaurs used magic at all.

"So...why did you come for me? Not that I'm complaining, mind you…but why would you want to free me?" Sirius set the tea cup down on the transfigured table and lay back on the bed wearily, closing his eyes with a sigh. "I thought about you all the time, Ha…Gwydion, I'm so sorry for what happened. I'll never forgive myself for you having to live with the Dursleys."

"We have a problem…," Gavin began hesitantly, looking at his brother for help in explaining.

"It started with the ritual where we pledged to the God and Goddess." Sirius opened his eyes and motioned for him to continue. "We aren't exactly…priests," he added softly, unsure how to explain. "It's a little more complicated than that."

"We're avatars of the Lord Herne and Lady Donn," Gwydion continued when it was obvious Sirius didn't understand. "We have a more…direct…relationship with them than a normal priest. I serve the Lord Herne, and Gavin serves the Lady Donn…but they will both answer if we call."

Gavin sipped his tea slowly, watching Sirius as he tried to absorb what they were telling him. "They both have other names, depending on what aspect you are calling upon. The Lady Donn is also known as the Ancient Mother, Bright Lady, or Lady of the Moon; in other words she is Maiden, Mother, and Crone. They both guide the cycle of Life, Death, and Rebirth."

Gwydion took up the explanation as Gavin finished his part. "My Lord Herne is sometimes called the Horned God and the Hunter or Forest Lord because he leads the Wild hunt, and Protector of Life and Lord of the Dead because he acts as the ferryman and guards the gates of death so that none pass before their time. Like Gavin said, which name you use depends on why you are calling them."

Sirius nodded. He recognized most of the names from some of the older histories and books about rituals he'd read.

"When you say you 'call' them, what exactly do you mean?" Sirius looked at Gwydion for an explanation. Many wizards swore by some form of the Goddess's name, or by Merlin, who had mostly taken the place of the Forest Lord in people's minds since the Horned God was considered a bit dark due to his very nature and Merlin was said to have been the most powerful Light wizard in the last two thousand years. There were no formal priests or structured religions within the wizarding world, other than private rituals some of the oldest pureblood families still practiced, so neither deity was mentioned much.

"We can call upon them and they will _answer,_ face to face if it is really important." Gavin struggled to explain and Gwydion took up the story once more.

"We learned our animal forms…animagus forms…from Lord Herne. He taught us how to change and then we spent all summer with him, learning how to live as our forms and hunt, since we don't have the instincts of the natural animals. He comes back every once in awhile and we go hunting with him," Gwydion shrugged as Sirius looked at him in shock. "He's usually a big black wolf, though he changes into an eagle to fly with Gavin sometimes."

"A God taught you how to change…." Sirius sighed and rubbed his face, a little overwhelmed by what he'd heard. "You're a wolf," he said, pointing at Gwydion. "What are you Gavin?"

There was the merest whisper of magic and a large golden eagle perched on the stool in place of the black haired boy. A second later and Gavin sat there once more. "A golden eagle. Gwydion was jealous at first, because he wanted to fly too, but I think it would be nice to be a wolf."

"It's the avatar bit that's the problem isn't it…." Sirius frowned as he thought about how people had likely reacted to the boy's status and powers. "Everyone wants something from you, don't they?"

Gavin nodded with a sad expression on his face. "There are several…factions…among the Groves, and the High Council wanted to make us their wards, supposedly so they could train us; all of them want something…and they think we'll help them get it."

"It wasn't so bad until just a few months ago. We had Llygoden, Gavin's godfather, and Grandfather Myrddin and Great Grandmother Etain to protect us." Gavin sighed and looked away, tears coming to his eyes.

Gwydion touched his twin's shoulder comfortingly then continued the explanation. "A few months ago someone shot Llygoden with an arrow and he died…nobody knows who did it, but Grandfather went to some of the other Groves to talk to people. Then we got word he'd gone to the human world, to look for you I think. Nobody has heard from him for weeks, and Great Grandmother said something has happened to him – he's in some sort of healer's hall and he isn't moving."

Gavin sniffed and wiped his eyes. "A few days ago we were with Great Grandmother at the beach… we were attacked as we were leaving …we were… kidnapped…and she was… killed…." He stopped suddenly and got up, a look of pain on his face. Gwydion stood as well and pulled him into a hug, holding him until he relaxed against him.

"Why don't you go fly for a while…I'll explain everything to Sirius," he suggested gently. "You can check the wards." Gavin nodded and hugged his twin for a moment more before walking quickly towards a passageway at one end of the cave.

Gwydion sighed and wiped a tear off his cheek. "I loved Etain," he explained, "but she was the _only_ mother Gavin had ever known." He looked towards the passage his brother had left through with a concerned expression. "They drugged us and took us to some sort of hideout. We were able to escape, then one of our centaur friends helped us get through the World Gate by distracting the guards. We rested for a couple days after we found this place, then went looking for you…we weren't sure who or where you were, but we knew I had a godfather somewhere, and you're the only hope we have of finding Grandfather."

"Why didn't you go back to your…Grove?" Sirius asked curiously.

"There was nobody there who could protect us from the High Council. With no living family left, and us not being 11 yet, they would have the power to take us and there wouldn't be much our clan could do without starting a fight they couldn't win."

"What is so important about being 11," Sirius asked, settling deeper into the warm blankets.

"When an elf reaches his 11th year he is considered to have crossed out of childhood and into adulthood; we're old enough then to make decisions about our future path, including where we live and who we live with. Normally this is the time when a person chooses to follow the path of the Lord or the Lady, what we call The Way. The year between 11 and 12 is called the Year of Passage; we're free to explore all the different occupations to find what fits best for us before we enter an apprenticeship to learn a craft. When we reach 16 we are considered full adult and have all the adult responsibilities. Obviously, that isn't a consideration for us," Gwydion said, touching the rune on his temple. "We've been considered priests since we were four."

"So you didn't have anyone to protect you at your Grove, or at least nobody with enough power to do any good."

Gwydion nodded. "Grandfather could have protected us, but he's missing. Normally, you could as well, since you're my godfather, but you're not an elf so they might be able to take us anyway. Elves take family very seriously, but most don't think very highly of humans. Grandfather is respected, even though his father was human and he's a half elf like we are, because he's one of the more powerful mages in Cymru and his father did so much for our people. His father built the World Gate to save our people from a Dark Lord."

"Who was his father, that the elves feel such respect for him, if he was human?" Sirius asked curiously.

"Merlin Ambrosius Emrys…." Gwydion answered nonchalantly, waiting for the man's reaction. Sirius didn't disappoint him either. The man's stunned expression was one to remember for a long time.

Gwydion looked over his shoulder as Gavin came back into the cave carrying two cock pheasants by the neck. Flying seemed to have cheered him up, and he'd caught dinner for them while he was at it.

"_What happened to him_?" Gavin grinned, pointing at the wizard's wide eyes and open mouth. Sirius seemed to be trying to say something, but no sound was coming out. "_It looks like you broke him_!"

"_I think he's a little surprised at who our Great Grandfather was_," Gwydion answered with a smirk.

* * *

AN- Thanks to feurfliege for the spelling corrections...mea culpa. Remember that the boy's grandfather's name "Myrddin" is pronounced (My + rr + thin or Mirth + in) and Sirius has never seen it written down, so the relationship to "Merlin" would not be as evident as you would think. 


	17. Release the Dogs

AN: Usual disclaimers...not mine...never going to be mine...no relationship to reality either.

_All conversations __in italics_ _are in the Elven language_.

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PHOENIX and DRAGON: Through the World Gate

Chapter 17

"_What happened to him_?" Gavin grinned, pointing at the wizard's wide eyes and open mouth. Sirius seemed to be trying to say something, but no sound was coming out. "_It looks like you broke him_!"

"_I think he's a little surprised at who our Great Grandfather was_," Gwydion answered with a smirk.

"Merlin…I can't believe it…MERLIN…." Sirius raised his head from his hands and looked at the boys again, still in a state of shock. "How…I mean, how old is your Grandfather?"

Gavin looked at Gwydion and raised an eyebrow. Gwydion shrugged and looked back at Sirius. "I think he was 742 on his last birthday, or maybe 743?"

Gavin nodded. "I think it was 742…Great Grandmother Etain would have been 1255 in the spring…." His voice softened to a whisper as he continued. "Llygoden was only 43."

"….Seven…forty…twelve hundred….." Sirius gasped. "How long do elves live?!"

"Half-elves generally live to about 900 years, sometimes a bit longer," Gwydion smiled at his godfather's impression of a fish and waited until the man regained his composure "Most elves and half-elves look like they are only in their 40's until the last 150 or 160 years of their life, and then they start aging…."

"I think the oldest elf I've heard of was that seer in Elderwood," Gavin began, glancing at his brother for confirmation. "The really strange one that was always predicting disasters?"

Gwydion nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, I think so. She insisted she was only 2039, but Grandfather said she had recorded _sightings_ from a couple years before that, so she must have been a little older at least."

"She was…creepy," Gavin said with a shudder. "I was really glad I didn't have to train with her." He shuddered again, thinking about the near miss he'd had. Luckily, Etain had decided to train him herself.

"Gavin and I will probably live longer than most half-elves because of the Lord and Lady." He shrugged again. Right now old age was just an abstract thought. He couldn't imagine living that long with what they were expected to do. "…_those stupid prophecies_…_we'll be lucky if we live long enough to worry about getting old_…," he muttered under his breath in Elvish.

"_Don't talk like that…it will all work out! __We're_ _not going to have to do it all ourselves!" _Gavin looked thoughtfully at Sirius_. "Do we tell him about all the prophecies? I don't know if he'll take it very well right now_…," he whispered, watching Sirius's face as he listened and tried to understand what the boys were saying. "_It might help though, if he knew_?"

Gwydion sighed and scratched absently at a bug bite on his wrist. "_I don't know…he knows about the first one about me…would if really make a difference if he knew about the others? I mean, the goblin ones are a little bit_... _cryptic…_?"

"_Is there any reason _not_ to tell him though? He deserves to know what we're up against_… _especially since we might have to fight the 'Light' side too_," Gavin pressed his point by poking his twin in the arm with his forefinger. Gwydion slapped the finger away and went back to frowning at the floor as he thought. "_Just think about it at least. I'll let you decide, since he's your godfather_."

"_Alright, alright…I'll think about it_."

"Hemm, hemm." Sirius cleared his throat to get their attention. The boys looked at him in surprise, having forgotten he was even there. "Would you mind speaking English? Some of us don't understand Elvish."

* * *

"So, you've not seen anyone visiting the stranger?" Dumbledore popped a lemon drop in his mouth and chewed it thoughtfully as he relaxed back in his chair. Several members of his vigilante group sat restlessly in front of his desk, looking like guilty school children called in for punishment. "You still haven't found out anything about him?" He peered over his half glasses at them, a disappointed expression on his face. "I expected better of you…you will just have to try harder."

"The only people to see him are the Healers," Hestia insisted. "They say it is unlikely he'll wake up anytime soon. The blow to his head caused a lot of damage…and he was hit with a number of stunners." She glared at Sturgis Podmore, clearly showing what she thought of his attempt to capture the man. "You couldn't have questioned him without nearly killing him?"

"Ms. Vance," Dumbledore admonished. "I'm sure he did the best he could, given the circumstances." Podmore glared at the old man, insulted by the comment.

"Kingsley? Is there any news about Sirius Black?" Dumbledore turned his attention to the third member of the Order of the Phoenix present.

"No, there have been no sightings yet. He's staying hidden for now apparently. There are auror's posted in Diagon Alley and Hogsmead. If he show's up at either of those places they'll catch him," the bald man assured Dumbledore. "The Ministry still has his family accounts frozen, so he'll have a hard time getting any money, even if he made it as far as Gringotts. Fudge is talking about increasing the patrols in Knockturn Alley, but nothing has come of that yet. "

"Yes, well…we'll just have to stay vigilant," Dumbledore murmured reassuringly with a twinkle in his eye, all the while thinking furiously. 'Black is a loose canon right now. He's got to be found! If it ever came out that I knew about the change in Secret Keepers all along it could damage my reputation… No, it was better if he was taken care of… quietly… it wouldn't do for him to talk to anyone about what happened. It was a shame I had to get rid of Sirius, but it was for the greater good…couldn't have had a Dark wizard raising the Boy-Who-Lived after all.…'

The bright red and orange phoenix sitting on the ornate brass stand in the corner of the Headmasters office sang a sad note, shaking his head at his bonded's scheming.

* * *

"_Where could those brats have gone_… _Lleidiau, is there any word from the Hunters in the human world_?" The tall blond elf turned from the window overlooking the central plaza and glared at his aide, straightening his brocade tunic and smoothing out an imagined crease with a frown.

"_No, Pen Dyffryn. They are still searching the drift markers. Pen Rhyfygus has ordered them to search for the…human_," he spat the word out as if it tasted bad, "..._Sirius Black…as well. It is thought that he may know where the children are, since he escaped from the wizard prison so soon after they went missing_," Lleidiau answered from across the room. "_It is possible the children removed him from there…it is my belief that they are capable of drifting, at least with the markers, and there are no drift wards on the miserable place_."

Lleidiau was a rough looking elf, his face scarred by a human wizard during the last rising of the Shadow. It rankled him that the God and Goddess had chosen half-breeds as their avatars. It wasn't right to give that honor to children who should have been drowned at birth, in order to keep the bloodlines pure. His superior had ordered them found and brought back to the High Council…but he wasn't happy about it, and intended to make their journey as uncomfortable as possible once they were found.

"_I have not heard from Fflamel… Let him be useful for once…send him an owl and ask him to report on what is happening with the wizard's Ministry of Magic. We don't need them getting involved with this…it would be best if they don't find out we're searching for the boys_."Pen Dyffryn ordered curtly. "_I don't understand how he can deal with those wizards…let alone pretend to be one,"_ he added with a shudder of distaste. "_Sorcerers Stone indeed…how could they be so gullible as to believe that_..."

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AN – Nickolas Flamel is an elf gasp and has used the rumor of the Sorcerers Stone to hide the fact that he isn't aging. He and his wife have lived within the wizarding world for the last 500 odd years, mostly to keep track of what the wizards are doing and to deflect attention from the occasional elf who is careless enough to be spotted. He acts as the coordinator for other elves placed in the human (muggle) world to monitor the muggles activities as well.

Pen (title for clan chief, usually used for a member of the High Council)


	18. Negotiations

AN- _**All conversations in bold italic are in goblin.**_

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PHOENIX and DRAGON: Through the World Gate

Chapter 18

Sirius sighed and turned his face up towards the weak winter sun, enjoying the feel of it on his face and the touch of the cold breeze blowing through the small valley the cave entrance looked out on. It had been over eight years since he'd felt either of them and it didn't matter that it was cold, or that there were grey clouds threatening to cover the pale sun…he was free.

"You should come inside before you catch a chill, Sirius."

Sirius opened his eyes and turned to look at the twin standing beside him. He had discovered that their voices were so alike it was difficult to tell them apart. Standing side by side, there were differences though; Gavin was slightly smaller than Gwydion, and his chin was a bit more pointed while Gwydion had a chipped tooth, acquired during a visit to the goblins. This one was Gavin.

"What's your brother doing?" Sirius asked as he stood carefully, leaning a little on the smaller boy until he was steady.

"Gwydion is talking to his Lord…we may have to move pretty soon, the Hunters are checking all the marker stones, trying to trace us," Gavin explained as he walked beside Sirius, ready to catch him if he stumbled. This was the first day he'd been able to walk as far as the rocks in front of the cave. Sirius shook his head in wonder. He still couldn't believe how casually the twins spoke about the deities they served.

Gwydion lifted his head off the shoulder of the large black wolf with a sigh, tucking a strand of black hair behind his ear as the wind tugged it loose from his braid. "They're getting close, aren't they?"

":- Yes, they will be here by tomorrow,-:" the wolf replied, turning to look at Gwydion as the boy sighed unhappily. ":- You should leave tonight.-:"

Gwydion nodded, and stood up, brushing dry leaves off his leggings. "I wish they would just give up and leave us alone."

":- They are frightened of the Shadow that approaches; they reach for a weapon to hold it back,-:" the deep voice explained. ":- They believe you and Gavin will be that weapon.-:"

"The prophecies…I wish…," he began, but stopped with a sigh and began to walk back towards the cave entrance, the wolf pacing beside him.

":- You know that the prophecies are meant to be…guidance only. It is your destiny to reach the goal they set, but the path you take is up to you. Your fate is not set in stone, it is written on the wind, and like the wind, and it can change.-:" Herne stopped and turned to look at his young avatar. ":- I am proud of you child, never forget that.-:"

Gwydion bowed as the wolf nodded farewell and faded from sight in a swirl of black mist. He stood there for a few minutes, gazing at the forest blankly, his thoughts confused and troubled. 'The path I take is up to me….' He shook his head finally and turned, climbing quickly into the cave.

"We need to move," Gwydion said as he entered the main chamber of the cave. He began vanishing the improvements they'd made, leaving Gavin to pick up the items they taken from the centaur's pack.

"Where are we going?" Gavin fastened the top of the pack closed and slid the strap over his shoulder, watching his twin get rid of the fireplace.

"Are you strong enough to apparate us somewhere?" Gwydion turned to look at Sirius, motioning him to stand up so he could vanish the bed.

"I can take us to my family manor, Grimmauld Place," he said, making a face at the idea of going back to that terrible place. He hated that house. "It is likely to be in bad shape, but it will be safe. The Hunters are unlikely to find us there."

Gwydion took a last look around, making sure he'd gotten everything and left no trace of their presence. It was possible they'd need the cave as a refuge again. Gavin was standing in the middle of the cavern with a look of concentration on his face while waving his hand in a complicated pattern, turning so he faced each wall, the ceiling, and the floor.

Sirius watched him for a minute before turning to look at Gwydion with his eyebrow raised in curiosity. "What's he doing?"

"Removing all traces of the magic we've used in here. When he's done there won't be any way to tell we've been here." Gwydion took Sirius's left arm as Gavin finished and walked over to them, taking the man's other arm. "Any time you're ready Sirius."

A loud bang echoed through the empty chamber, sounding like someone had set off a small explosion.

* * *

"Oh, that hurt." Two muffled moans were the only answer.

"Could you get your elbow out of my face please?" Gavin pushed his brother off him, and untangled their legs enough that Sirius could roll to one side, allowing them all to sit up.

"Well, that could have gone better…," Sirius mumbled, standing up with the help of a tattered leather chair. "Ugh. This place is worse than I expected it to be, and my expectations were set pretty low…." He brushed the dust off his clean but tattered robe as he looked around the room they'd landed in, sending a cloud of dust into the musty air.

Dim light filtered through the panes of a filthy window, revealing a good sized bedroom with a four posted bed with torn and moth eaten hangings against the wall to the right of the window. Several small landscapes, and a portrait of a man in dark robes leaning against a bookcase, hung on the walls. Side tables and a large wardrobe matching the bed, a book case stacked haphazardly with books, a roll top desk with dust covered parchments and a ragged quill stuck into a dried ink well, and a leather chair with a cracked seat completed the picture. Thick dust covered everything, cobwebs hung from the ceiling, and there was something moving in the window drapes. A door opposite the window was cracked open enough to reveal a bit of a hallway with peeling wallpaper.

'Probably doxies,' Sirius thought as he watched the drapes with apprehension, before turning to the boys. "This used to be my room," he said apologetically. "It's going to take some work to make this place livable, but it shouldn't take more than a couple days once I find a wand that works for me."

Both boys turned and gave him looks of disbelief. "Well ok…maybe more than a couple days. There used to be a house elf here…," he stopped when they looked confused. "House elves are…not really elves," he stopped again, realizing how stupid that sounded. "They're what wizards use as servants. My family had one, and it might be here still. If it is it can help clean."

"KREACHER!"

There was a small pop, and a short knobby headed creature with large bulbous eyes appeared in front of them, twisting the filthy pillow case it was wearing in its boney hands. "Nasty blood traitor is back, Mistress will be angry…," it muttered sullenly. "What does Master want?"

Gwydion and Gavin looked at the ugly creature in shock. Wizards called this an elf? "Um, Sirius? That's a durdalis…not an elf." Gavin pointed at Kreacher, drawing the demented house elf's attention for the first time and causing him to scream in fear and cower to the floor with his arms wrapped over his head as he realized who, or what, stood there beside his hated master.

"They're a… type of gnome…," Gwydion explained, his voice trailing off as he looked at the now sniveling house elf in confusion.

"Great Lords…Kreacher insults GREAT LORDS! Nasty blood traitor …brings Great Lords to Noble and Most Ancient House of Black…doesn't tell me…insulted GREAT LORDS!" Kreacher sobbed despairingly, crawling across the floor to kneel at the feet of the half-elves. "What can Kreacher do for the young Great Lords?"

"Start cleaning! We will need a place to sleep," Sirius ordered with a frown, puzzled by the reaction his family retainer had had to the boys. The house elf totally ignored him, looking up at the boys with an adoring expression on his face. The boys both shrugged, they had no idea why the durdalis was acting this way. "Maybe if you told him, Gavin?"

"Kreacher, we need a place to sleep. Would you clean a couple bedrooms for us?" Gavin asked finally. Kreacher sprang to his feet and instantly popped out. They immediately heard thumps and muffled yells from further down the hallway.

There was a long silence as all three exchanged puzzled glances. Finally, Sirius clapped his hands together and started for the hallway. "Well, let's take a look around and see how bad the rest of the house is."

Gwydion and Gavin used most of the first day they were in Grimmauld Place to set additional wards on the old house. Sirius's father had paid a small fortune to have protections set on the manor when he became Head of House, and they were still strong to this day, but the boys added elven and goblin wards as well to make the house nearly impregnable and virtually undetectable by magical means. Sirius found the Head of House ring in a cabinet in the drawing room, and once he put it on the wards were tied to him and they began to recharge.

It took a week to make the house livable…barely. Sirius found an old wand that would work for him that had once belonged to his father, Orion Black, so he was able to help once he got more of his strength back. Kreacher had continued to bow and grovel before the twins, much to their embarrassment, but he kept a civil tone with Sirius after several admonishments from both boys.

They had discovered the portrait of Sirius's mother in the front entry hall; she had woken up with a scream when Sirius stumbled over a hideous umbrella stand and started howling out curses at them until they managed to close a set of moth-eaten velvet drapes over her. Gavin eventually persuaded Kreacher to remove Walburga from the wall and place the portrait in the attic, along with those of a number of the other more unpleasant Black ancestors and a grotesque plaque with house elf heads. It turns out the portrait in Sirius's old bedroom was of his namesake, a fellow prankster who had died a few years before Sirius was born, and one of the few Black ancestors Sirius admitted to getting along with.

Money soon became a problem however. Sirius had managed to find a stash of galleons hidden in a false drawer in a desk, but they had soon spent them on food and other needed supplies Kreacher was sent to buy in Diagon Alley. They would need to go to Gringotts.

"Yes Gavin, I know it will be dangerous going out in public, especially to Diagon Alley, but we need to get to my vault or we won't be eating." Sirius paced back and forth across the drawing room, while the boys listened from where they were perched on an antique sofa with their elbows on their crossed legs. Gavin had his head supported on his hands, idly watching dust motes floating in the sunlight streaming through a newly cleaned window. He'd been arguing against this since Sirius had first brought the idea up. "You could both use some clothes too."

"We need to talk to the Goblins as well, Gavin," Gwydion added quietly, even though he was just as worried about this idea as his brother was. "We could all put glamours on, but the goblins can see through them. They consider it an insult to deal with someone under glamour, and I'm not sure how they will react to you, Sirius. I'm not familiar with this clan, and who knows how far from normal customs they've drifted due to their contact with wizards."

Gavin stirred, lifting his head to look at his twin. "An additional worry is that we might be detected by Hunters if any have been positioned in the Alley to watch for us. They would be able to spot a glamour if we used one. The elven version of the disillusionment charm is very hard to detect," he explained for Sirius's sake, "so they could easily hide and we would never spot them until it was too late, and _we_ can't use it because of how many people you say will be there. It would be impossible to move through the crowds without drawing attention."

"How about we use disguises then, instead of glamour's; I can go in my animagus form, since it's not registered and only a couple people know about it, put a small wizard charm on your ears and the runes to hide them, and maybe change your hair color with muggle dye?" Sirius suggested finally. "I found enough pound notes to buy hair dye." Gavin still looked doubtful so he explained that the type of charm he had in mind was one used by a lot of the witches, and the more vain wizards, to conceal acne or a blemish. Probably half the wizards and witches in Diagon Alley would be using them.

Gavin looked at his brother for a long moment. "Stand up," he urged, pushing on Gwydion's knee to get him off the sofa. He rose as well, and pushed his brother into the center of the room and then began circling him slowly. "It might work…we don't look at all like we used to when we're dressed in wizard clothes. If we put on cloaks and put the hoods up…," he nodded finally. "I think it would work."

In the end, they decided to go during the most crowded time of day. They would be hidden in the crowd, and any invisible watchers would have trouble reaching them without notice.

The street door of the Leaky Cauldron opened quietly and two children with wavy brown shoulder length hair entered with a large black dog on a leash. They were dressed in muggle clothing with hooded cloaks on over open wizarding robes and looked like young muggle-born wizards. The patrons quieted for a moment as they glanced at the newcomers, but resumed their conversations when they saw nothing interesting.

The boys walked over to where Tom was wiping the bar and politely asked him to open the way to the Alley for them.

"Aye, I can do that you. Is this your first visit?" Tom asked curiously. He didn't remember seeing them before, and he prided himself on never forgetting a face.

"No, but it has been a long time since we were here last," one of the twins said politely. "We were really young."

"We'll be going to school next fall, so I'm sure you'll see us again," the other added, tugging on the dog's leash when it tried to sniff the innkeeper's leg. "We're in a bit of a hurry, if you don't mind," he prompted when Tom made no move to open the door through the wall.

"Oh, right. Here you go…," Tom said, tapping the correct bricks with his wand. "Have a good time boys, and stop by for a butter beer on your way out!"

"That went well," Gavin admitted with a sigh as the wall closed back up behind them. "Where do we go now, Sirius?"

The black dog stepped past the boys and began leading them down the cobblestone street towards a large white building further down, across from where another alley branched off, twisting and dodging around numerous people trying to get their shopping done before the heavy grey clouds opened up and it began to rain again.

Remus stopped suddenly, half-way out the door of Flourish & Blotts with several books tucked under his arm, causing another customer to run into him. 'Did I just see what I thought I saw? A large black dog? No…it wasn't likely,' he thought. 'Sirius isn't that stupid, even if he was the bastard who betrayed James and Lily to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. But still….'

"Could you move, sir?" An overweight witch with frizzy yellow hair pushed impatiently past him, knocking the books out of his hold. He bent down to pick up his books and by the time he looked up again, the dog was gone. "The nerve of some people…," she huffed, dragging an overweight toddler after her.

Sirius led the boys up a set of white stairs to a set of burnished bronze doors, flanked by two goblins in a uniform of scarlet and gold.

Gwydion and Gavin looked to make sure nobody was watching, then nodded to both guards and greeted them quietly. "_**Greetings, Rock-Hands-Who-Protect."**_

Gavin addressed the one closest to him._** "Have you seen any of the Wood folk today**_?" Goblins refer to the Elves as the 'Wood folk' because of the names they have taken after different types of trees.

The goblins looked at the boys in surprise. Few wizards, such as they appeared to be, learned Gobbledegook. Even fewer learned it with the proper accent, and none would have recognized their clan ranking unless they had lived within the goblin tunnels.

The goblins turned toward the boys, one of them putting his hand on the handle of a large knife and partially drawing it. "_**Who are you wizard, that you ask about the Wood folk**_? _**Speak with a golden tongue, or feel my steel**_!"

Sirius growled low and moved to stand between the boys and the goblin. Gwydion put his hand on his godfather's back and tightened his hold on the leash. While this challenge sounded threatening, it was actually a courtesy. They were being given the benefit of the doubt, as this was a standard greeting for when members of one goblin clan were visiting the tunnels of another.

"_**We are aur ffrinds, mabwysiadus cymciwdod Bogrod**_," Gavin replied, smiling in a way that showed all his teeth and moving his hand subtly in the way that meant 'friend' as opposed to 'foe' in the goblin battle language. "_**May I ask your names**_?"

The goblin slid the knife back into the sheath and bowed respectfully, his voice courteous as he answered. "_**I am Recslot, and this is my cousin Marsnip. We have not seen any of the Wood folk in the alley today, but they have been here as recently as yesterday**_." He hesitated and looked closer at the twins. "_**If you are the ones I think you are, Chief Ragnok wishes to speak with you**_."

Sirius looked up at Gavin and whined softly, a confused expression on his doggy face. 'What had just happened?' he thought. 'I've _got_ to learn Gobbledegook; I've _never _seen a courteous goblin before.'

"_**That may be so, we will inquire about this.**_ _**May your enemies die a hundred deaths,**_ _**Rock-Hands-Who-Protect Recslot, and Marsnip,"**_ Gwydion nodded again and continued into the foyer of the bank. On the wall before a second set of doors was what he recognized to be a rune spell, over written by a poem in English. Each time someone read it a protective spell was reinforced.

_Enter, stranger, but take heed_  
_Of what awaits the sin of greed,_  
_For those who take, but do not earn,_  
_Must pay most dearly in their turn._  
_So if you seek beneath our floors_  
_A treasure that was never yours,_  
_Thief, you have been warned, beware_  
_Of finding more than treasure there._

"Very sly," Gavin said softly, tilting his head at the poem as they went through the doors.

Gwydion nodded slightly, his attention on the lines of people waiting in front of the goblin tellers. He looked around, and finally spotted two guards standing on either side of a doorway, and nudged Gavin with his elbow. "Over there…they're Steel-Hands, they'd have the authority to call Ragnok."

Gavin nodded, and they moved casually over to the guards, bypassing the rest of the wizards. Gavin moved to stand so as to shield Gwydion from prying eyes while his brother addressed the guards.

"_**I greet you, Steel-Hands-Who-Protect," **_Gwydion said softly, catching the guards attention discretely._** "We have a need to speak in private with the Clan Chief, Ragnok. If you would, please tell him the aur ffrinds of Ripthroat are here. I believe he is expecting us?"**_

One of the guards nodded slightly and stepped through the door for a moment. Shortly afterwards the door opened and the guard waved them in.

A small goblin waited inside. It turned and beckoned them to follow it down a long corridor, to a large door that looked to be carved from solid gold. Two more guards stood silently beside the ornate door, gripping long spears in addition to the large knives the other guards had worn; one moved to open the door as they approached.

"Sirius, you need to change back as soon as we are inside. Bow when I point to you, and whatever you do, don't speak unless you are asked a direct question…do you understand?" Gavin asked softly. "Take the concealing charms off of us as well, please?"

Sirius gave a soft woof, and followed the boys through the door, changing immediately back to human shape as the door closed and straightening his robes. A quick wave of his wand and the boy's ears were back to normal and the runes on their faces reappeared.

The office they had entered was large, and quite impressive. The walls were polished white marble, with numerous niches filled by pedestals topped with what appeared to be ornate goblin battle armor. Light from several crystal chandeliers glinted off the numerous swords, spears, bardiche's and throwing axes hanging on display. A large ornate desk faced the door, and three comfortable looking chairs were placed before it.

A door at the back of the room opened as they approached the desk, and a regal looking goblin entered, walking to the desk and standing beside it, hands clasped behind his back.

"_**We greet you, Ragnok, Battle Chief of clan Gringotts. I am Gavin Deoladwyth ab Emrys**_," Gavin said, clasping his hands behind his back as well and bowing deeply to the goblin chief, receiving a bow in return. "_**This is my brother Gwydion Aneirin Crochenydd ab Emrys.**_"

Gwydion bowed just as Gavin had, and introduced the remaining member of their party. "This is my Godfather, Sirius Orion Black," he said, switching to English as he gestured gracefully toward Sirius. "Lord of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black."

Sirius, catching the signal, bowed deeply as well, receiving a nod from the goblin in return.

"You are all known to me, by reputation, if not by name," Ragnok said politely. "Please sit. Would you join me in tea?" He gestured toward the chairs and when they all nodded, he reached out to touch a small grey globe sitting to one side on his desk.

By the time they had settled in their seats, a small goblin had entered with a tray containing a silver tea service and four cups. A second goblin followed with a tray of finger sandwiches and tiny cakes. "Please, help yourselves," Ragnok said with a gesture towards the food, taking a small cake for himself, and a cup of tea as the small goblin filled them.

Sirius took a cup and raised it to his lips. "Be careful, Sirius," Gavin whispered. "This is goblin tea; it may be a bit strong."

The wizard nodded slightly and took a careful sip. His eyes widened in shock and he struggled not to grimace at the bitter, biting, taste of the hot liquid. He noticed Ragnok's smirk, and deliberately took a second deeper swallow of the…tea. Gwydion and Gavin watched with amusement, emptying their cups with evident enjoyment and holding them out to the young goblin for refills.

"So, you are aur ffrinds?" Ripthroat smiled, showing a large number of sharp teeth. "Ripthroat has told me about you."

Gwydion nodded to the chief, and dug in his cloak. "I have brought a gift, the merest trifle of course," he said as he handed a small wooden box to the goblin. "Ripthroat has said you enjoy these."

Ragnok reached across his desk and picked up the box, carefully opening it. He looked into it for a moment, his face expressionless, but then his lips lifted into a smile that showed more teeth then seemed possible, and he began to laugh. "Indeed," he said eventually, still snickering. "Please express my appreciation to Ripthroat."

Sirius leaned forward, trying to see into the box, curious as to what would get that reaction from the goblin leader. The goblin closed the box abruptly, smirking at the wizard.

"I'm afraid it is a…goblin thing, Sirius," Gavin said with a grin that showed all his teeth in the goblin manner. "You wouldn't understand." Sirius sat back, scowling slightly.

"Enough pleasantries…," Ragnok said abruptly. "How may I be of assistance?"

Gwydion shifted in his seat, setting his elbow on the armrest and twisting a piece of hair between his fingers as he thought. "We need information. Our Grandfather is missing, somewhere in a healer's hall. We don't know what happened to him, or where he is. We have Hunter's looking for us on behalf of the High Council. We need a way to break their power over us and send the Hunters back to Cymru."

Gavin leaned forward and took another small cake, turning it in his fingers as he spoke. He nodded as the young goblin lifted the teapot with a questioning look, and held his cup to be refilled. "There are other's who search for us, factions from various Groves. They need to be stopped before open warfare breaks out between the Groves and draws the other races into the conflict. One of those groups killed our Great Grandmother, Etain of Eldergrove and kidnapped us, leading to our flight to this world. We believe one of these groups was also responsible for the death of my godfather. I would like… revenge…if this is possible."

Ragnok nodded, his face suddenly grim. Revenge on enemies was quite acceptable among the goblins; in fact they had refined it to an art form.

Gavin glanced over at Sirius, smiling slightly at his confused expression. The wizard didn't realize they were negotiating with the goblin leader for his assistance, but he was staying quiet as they'd requested. Value given for value received, the basic principle of commerce. Of course, it was always best to receive more than you gave. Once they were done listing their needs, the goblin leader would list his requirement for compensation, either monetary, political, or something of a more esoteric nature given their avatar status.

Gwydion spoke again, still playing with his hair. "Lord Black is believed to have betrayed my parents, totally untrue of course, but nevertheless the Ministry is searching for him. We need a way to prove his innocence so he can openly protect us in the wizarding world. We are searching for Peter Pettigrew, the one who led Voldemort to my home, but we are not able to do this openly while the other issues remain unresolved. There is also the matter that we removed Sirius from the wizard prison in a…less than legal manor." Sirius started to turn red as his anger rose, and Gwydion waved his hand, casting a silencing charm on the hot tempered wizard. There was too much at stake for him to blow up and insult Ragnok.

Ragnok smirked at Gwydion's comment; the silencing charm hadn't gone unnoticed. He didn't have much respect for the wizarding government, so the boys successful …circumvention… of their 'justice' system was amusing to him. He actually had a bit of respect for the newly risen Lord Black, and wasn't unsympathetic to his plight.

"Ripthroat had reason to suspect that someone, either Dumbledore or the Ministry, would attempt to claim my inheritance from my parents? Have there been any attempts so far?" Gwydion stopped for a moment as Sirius started choking, trying to break the charm. He waved his hand again, releasing the man so he could speak. "Do you have anything to add, Sirius?"

Sirius cleared his throat and glared at Gwydion. He knew who had silenced him, and intended to bring the matter up once they got back to Grimmauld Place. "You've said that you need to be enrolled at Hogwarts in two years. We will need identities for both of you, and an official guardian to keep the Ministry of Magic, and Dumbledore, at bay. Even if I'm cleared, we will need a way to explain you two…we can't let it get out that you are Elves. I don't trust Dumbledore, or his vigilante group, the Order of the Phoenix. We need a way to keep them away from us." Sirius paused for a moment as another matter came to mind. "There's also the issue of the Potter's will. Was it ever processed, if so, why was James and Lily's son sent to her muggle sister? I know they had made arrangements for his care, should something happen to them, and they did not include the Dursleys." He stopped and turned to look at Gwydion. "Dumbledore blocked me from claiming you, after your parents were killed. I think if I'd had you, I'd never have gone after Peter."

Ragnok nodded thoughtfully. "I will think on your requirements, and get back to you when I have solutions." He sat up straighter in his chair and set his teacup back on the tray. Gwydion and Gavin immediately did the same. Gwydion nudged Sirius and prompted him to follow suit. "Is there anything more I can assist you with today?"

Gavin and Gwydion rose from their seats, Sirius following suit a moment later, and bowed respectfully.

"We will need access to the Black and Potter vaults, if it is not too much trouble," Gavin requested. "Possibly some galleons converted to muggle pounds. And, of course, we were never here today."

"Of course," Ragnok nodded agreement, and touched the grey sphere once more. The door they had entered through opened immediately, and a goblin stepped inside. "Griphook will take you to your vaults." Ragnok stood, bowed slightly to the boys, and nodded to Sirius. "I shall get back to you when I have made a decision."

"_**May your gold roll in like the tides of the ocean, clan leader**_," Gavin intoned, bowing deeply to the goblin. Gwydion also bowed deeply, a half second behind his brother, and nudged Sirius until he caught on and bowed as well.

Gwydion put his hand on Sirius's arm and pushed him gently towards the door. Both boys nodded to the goblin clan leader once more, then turned and walked rapidly to the door, pulling Sirius along with them.

"What was all that about," Sirius hissed, pulling Gwydion back so the goblin leading them got a bit ahead. "You told him too much…what if they sell us out!"

Gwydion sighed. "We were negotiating for the goblin's help. We have a lot of people after us, and they may or may not be in a position to help. It's a matter of gauging how much profit there is in it for them if they help, or what if might cost them if they refuse. This is the custom; we're in their home, so we go by their rules." He waited for a moment as Griphook opened a final door, revealing a rough stone passageway with a cart of some sort attached to a rail. "They won't sell us out without giving us the chance to counter the offer."

Sirius frowned and started to protest. Gwydion shook his head and nodded toward the goblin who was obviously listening to their conversation. "Later."

Sirius nodded reluctantly and climbed into the cart after Gavin, leaving Gwydion to sit on the other side of the seat.

"Which vault are we going to first, Griphook," Gavin asked quietly, aware that Sirius was angry, and trying to distract him.

"We will go to the Potter trust vault first, and then Black vault. Do you wish to visit your family vault as well, Lord Potter? You are aware that you cannot take any galleons out of that vault, or anything of great value, until you are 17?"

Gwydion blinked, startled by the question. He looked at Sirius questioningly and his godfather shook his head, leaving it up to him. "Yes, the trust vault, and then the family vault."

* * *

AN- Here's the translations for the Welsh phrases in this chapter.

"We are gold friends, affiliated with clan Bogrod."

aur ffrinds (gold friends)

mabwysiadus (affiliates)

cymciwdod (of the clan)

Gavin's middle name is Deol + adwyth (banish misfortune)


	19. Wolf Moon

AN- I know I'm probably going to get comments that Remus is OC, which is fine because this an AU after all, and that Harry/Gwydion is acting a lot older than he ought to be when he's in wolf form – but you have to take into account that by wolf standards he is adult, and he's been taught how to act like a wolf, including the dominance fights. In wolf form, he thinks like a wolf.

* * *

PHOENIX and DRAGON: Through the World Gate

Chapter 19

Remus stopped suddenly, half-way out the door of Flourish & Blotts with several books tucked under his arm, causing another customer to run into him. 'Did I just see what I thought I saw? A large black dog? No…it wasn't likely,' he thought. 'Sirius wasn't that stupid, even if he was the bastard who betrayed James and Lily to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. But still….'

"Could you move, sir?" An overweight witch with frizzy yellow hair pushed impatiently past him, knocking the books out of his hold. He bent down to pick up his books and by the time he looked up again, the dog was gone. "The nerve of some people…," she huffed, dragging an overweight toddler after her.

'I'm loosing it. I need to think about something else,' he thought, and started counting his breaths to distract the wolf inside him. 'Last stop the second-hand robe shop, maybe a couple minutes in the junk shop across from Olivanders…,' Remus mused, mentally counting the few galleons left in his purse.

The tired werewolf continued down the Alley, not paying particular attention to his surroundings until something made him look up as he passed Gringotts. 'The dog! It's there on the steps with those boys talking to the guards.' He was starting forward when his mind caught up to his ears. Those boys, they were speaking Gobbledegook…and the guards bowed to them? He almost missed the look the dog gave him as the boys led it up the stairs…but he didn't. Blue eyes…the dog had blue eyes! That was Sirius, it had to be!

Remus started forward again, his eyes changing to amber as the wolf rose within him, both parts of his mind intent on reaching the man who's betrayal had cost them so much, but a large group of gossiping witches pushed in front of him, then stopped suddenly, causing him to knock one's shopping bags to the ground as he tried to push past her. In the confusion of apologies, the dog disappeared into the bank. He quickly followed, but by the time he got inside, the three had vanished.

"Tempus," Remus said quietly, raising his wand to see the time. He'd been waiting for the two boys and the dog to come out of Gringotts for nearly three hours. He'd found an inconspicuous place in a corner by the entrance to Knockturn alley and settled out of sight, determined to find out if that was indeed Sirius. "5:32, this is cutting it too close! I've only got 10 minutes! I'd better get going…I need to be home…." He stopped before he even took a step, all thought of leaving gone. 'There they were! This time they wouldn't get away.' He started to leave his corner, but then he realized they were already coming his way and stepped deeper into the shadow.

"Did you want to do any shopping while we're here Gavin? Or maybe some ice cream?" Gwydion pointed toward Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, just a few yards away down the street. "We have to go right past it," he coaxed. He vaguely remembered tasting ice cream once, he'd been handed a cone once when one of the children in the neighborhood had a party at the park. It had been heavenly! Aunt Petunia had taken it from him though, before he'd gotten more than a couple licks. He'd gotten whipped when Vernon got home that night…his thoughts started looping, replaying the beating and the pain as he became locked in his memories.

Gavin looked over at his brother as he suddenly went silent and frowned when he saw his glazed eyes and dazed expression. The frown turned into concern when he called his name and he still didn't answer. "_Cachu_!" He looked around and spotted a secluded corner between two of the shops at the end of a small side alley. "_Gwydion! Come on…don't do this here_….," he whispered frantically in Elvish, trying to maneuver his twin to the side of the street and out of the way of shoppers hurrying home to beat the rain and darkness.

Sirius whined and watched with concern as Gavin dragged his brother into the entrance of Knockturn Alley, moving so he was between the boys and any of the wizarding world's darker inhabitants who might have spotted them there. He whined again and nudged Gavin's hand, trying to ask what was wrong with Gwydion.

Remus was sure now. It was Sirius. He started forward, then stopped in shock as the dog suddenly turned back into his former best friend and caught one of the boys as he seemed to faint. The wolf snarled, but it seemed nervous and uncertain as well. He began listening to what they were saying.

"He's having a flashback…those damned relatives of his nearly killed him, and sometimes something will trigger one. He…goes into his mind, and I think he relives things that happened to him." Gavin whispered tensely, one hand on Gwydion's shoulder to hold him steady against Sirius's. "We've got to shake him out of it; sometimes he looses control of his magic…."

"Those damn Dursleys! I don't know how Lily could have had a sister like Petunia," Sirius snarled, "Gwydion, come on luv, don't do this…Gwydion!" He lightly slapped the boy's cheek, and got a soft moan in response.

"Keep talking to him Sirius, tell him something about his parents…it might break him out of this," Gavin whispered frantically, glancing around to see if they were attracting notice.

"I can't apparate us out of here, there's a ward up. Can you drift us out?" Sirius whispered back. Gavin shook his head.

"No, not a good idea. If he lost control while we were moving, we could end up in a bunch of pieces, scattered half way across London," he explained. "We need him awake enough to know what's going on." Sirius nodded his understanding and began to talk softly, his mouth close to the unconscious boy's ear.

Remus listened, some instinct holding him back. What he heard next shocked him.

"Gwydion…Harry, did you know your mother used to sing when she cooked? She'd hold a wooden spoon like a microphone and sing into it and dance around the kitchen," Sirius closed his eyes, and continued with pain in his voice. "She liked to sing you to sleep at night too, and one time it was your father's turn to put you to bed and you were fussy. He tried to sing to you and you just kept screaming louder and louder. Your mother finally came in and took you. As soon as she picked you up you stopped crying and gave your father the funniest look. He says you told him "bad pwongs" and stuck your tongue out at him." Sirius gasped as Gwydion's eyes fluttered open and he turned slightly in his godfather's grasp, tucking his head under the older man's chin and wrapping his arms around him. Gavin gave a sigh of relief and turned to watch the street for anyone looking their way.

"I miss them so much sometimes," the boy whispered.

"I'm so sorry Gwydion. I should never have talked your father and mother into changing Secret Keepers…I thought I was too obvious, everyone would know they'd choose me. I talked them into using Peter, and a week later he turns them over to that bastard Voldemort." Sirius sighed and tightened his grip on his godson. "It tore me up when they died, I went crazy…I had to have been crazy to try and catch Peter the way I did. Dumbledore wouldn't give you to me, and by the time I was done taking care of…your parents…I couldn't find you. The bastard had put you inside wards and I couldn't get to you! I started hunting for Peter, and found him finally. Then when he blew up the street and went down the sewer…I just… cracked," he stopped, too choked up to continue for a minute. "They didn't even bother giving me a trial; I guess they thought I was too crazy to bother…."

Remus froze. 'Sirius wasn't the Secret Keeper? Peter was? The boy…he'd called him Harry! But Harry was dead…everyone said so,' his thoughts went around in circles as his confusion grew. He must have made a sound because suddenly Sirius stood and pushed the boys behind him, pulling a wand and pointing it threateningly into the shadow he was concealed in.

"Alright, step out where I can see you," the black haired man growled, his wand steady. "Keep your hands where I can see them."

Remus hesitated, then stepped forward, his hands spread to show he wasn't holding a wand.

"Hello, Sirius."

"Remus," Sirius gasped, paling as he looked into the eyes of his old friend. "What are you doing here!?" He lowered his wand slightly then flicked it suddenly to the side. "Tempus!" Numbers appeared, "5:40" floating in midair, glowing in the increasing darkness. The numbers flickered and "5:41" appeared.

Remus gasped. He hadn't realized how many minutes had gone past…he'd never make it…the moon was coming up in less than two minutes and there was no time for him to make it to the apparition point at the end of the Alley. He was going to transform right here, in the middle of Diagon Alley. He heard the sounds of children laughing from Fortesque's and paled. "Kill me!" He ordered Sirius, terrified of what he'd do once the wolf took over. "Kill me before I change! I don't want to hurt anyone!"

"No! I can't do that…," Sirius turned suddenly and looked at the boys. "Will you trust me?" They both nodded. "_Drift_ us all back to Grimmauld then shape change as soon as we land." Gavin and Gwydion nodded again. Gavin stepped quickly to Remus's side, grabbing his arm even as he tried to push the boy away, and they were gone in a sudden swirl of mist. Gwydion took Sirius's arm and followed.

Remus landed in a drawing room, and immediately collapsed to the floor, writhing in agony as he started to transform. "No, get away," he sobbed. "I'll hurt you!"

"No, you won't," Gavin said and suddenly Remus was looking into the eyes of an eagle. It cocked its head sideways, watching curiously as the change became more violent and Remus's bones started snapping and rearranging, then flapped its wings and landed on the back of a chair on the other side of the room.

Moments later an exhausted werewolf lay on the carpet.

The werewolf lay gasping for a minute or two, regaining his strength from the change and letting the pain ease, then he stood up, his nose lifting as a door opening somewhere nearby brought him the scent of humans. He moved quickly, growling softly as he stalked towards the open door, and stopped, the fur on his back rising as the human scent suddenly changed to that of another wolf and a familiar smelling dog. Moony growled louder as a black nose poked around the door frame, followed by the rest of the dog. Remus may have at least partially forgiven Sirius, but Moony was still furious at him for betraying his pack.

The werewolf launched itself through the air with a roar of fury, hitting the black dog and rolling it over and slamming it into the wall with a sickening thud. He sank his teeth into the smaller animal's shoulder, ripping a large gash as he jerked back, trying to reach the dog's neck. Sirius twisted, managing to get his teeth on Moony's leg, biting hard enough to make him let go. The werewolf moved back with a snarl of rage, limping on three legs for a minute until the leg began to heal then launched himself at the dog once more, rolling Sirius backwards towards the stairs down to the kitchen.

Gwydion lunged forward, hitting the werewolf broadside with his shoulder, sending him into the troll leg umbrella stand and knocking it over with a crash and distracting it for a moment. Sirius took the time to awkwardly regain his feet and stood shaking, obviously in shock, with his head low and one paw held up off the floor in pain.

"Run Sirius! Get into the kitchen and shut the door," Gwydion growled, jerking a paw back as the werewolf tried to tear it off. He snarled and snapped at the werewolf, driving him back towards the drawing room, giving Sirius enough time to stagger down the stairs.

Moony tried to follow, intent on killing the one who had betrayed his pack. In that moment, the large grey wolf lunged forward, knocking the werewolf backwards again, through the door of the drawing room, before grabbing the werewolf by the throat and throwing him to the floor. Gwydion stood over Moony with his teeth sunk deep into the muscle of the werewolf's neck. Blood began to drip from the no-doubt painful wound, but Gwydion held fast, tightening his jaws and growling louder if Moony moved.

The standoff held for several minutes, and then the werewolf seemed to relax, dropping its head back onto the floor. The wolf growled again in warning then slowly released its hold, standing stiff legged over the werewolf until it gave a small whine, and then backing up a couple steps.

Moony rolled and stood up, head down and tail tucked slightly. He seemed to be thinking for a moment before he moved forward and assumed a submissive position at the grey wolf's feet. "Alpha."

"Yes, Alpha." Gwydion sighed and relaxed, putting his head down to lick the still seeping wound his teeth had left on the werewolf's neck. Hearing a pained whine, he lifted his head and looked up. Sirius had come back up the stairs from the kitchen to see why it was quiet, and make sure Gwydion was alright. He was attempting to lick his bleeding shoulder, but couldn't because the bite was too close to his neck. Moony tried to sit up when he sensed the dog, so he put a large paw on the were's shoulder and forced him back down.

":-Gavin?-:"

":-Hmmm?-:" Gavin took flight from the top of a tall cabinet in the drawing room and landed on the back of one of the chairs, leaning forward to look at what Gwydion was doing.

":- Would you mind taking Sirius into another room and doing some healing on him? I think the were did some pretty serious damage to his shoulder,-:" Gwydion asked, continuing to lick the injured werewolf, calming it and speeding the were's naturally fast healing rate even more.

The eagle nodded, and flew across the foyer, landing on the floor beside the dog and reaching out with one talon to grab its leg. Sirius gave a small yelp of surprise as he felt the talon clench, and then suddenly another yelp came from upstairs, in the direction of Sirius's bedroom as Gavin _drifted_ him onto his bed.

Gwydion pushed the thought of his godfather out of his mind for the moment and growled softly at the werewolf. "We need to talk. Dog is my pack mate"

The werewolf tensed and Gwydion stopped licking for a moment and growled softly in warning to make it lay still. He didn't want to upset the delicate situation he had with the currently passive werewolf, but they needed to come to an agreement or he'd have to kill him. He'd managed to assert his dominance, but he still sensed rage within its mind, and he didn't want it to attack Sirius again. "Why did you attack the dog?" he asked grimly.

He already had an idea about why the attack had occurred though. He'd heard his godfather call this man 'Remus', and from the stories Sirius had been telling them, this was the fourth member of the infamous Marauders, the one the other three had become animagus' to help. Sirius had never explained just why Remus had needed their help, but the reason was obvious now.

The twin's training had included magical creatures, and they'd covered werewolves; even if there weren't any in Cymru. The Shadow was getting stronger, and there had been werewolves in the previous Dark Lord's ranks. Myrddin and Awel had wanted them to know what they might face. Elves couldn't become werewolves, something in their blood or magic prevented the infection from taking hold; half-elves could be infected, however, and while most would survive to transform, they seldom lived more than a few years after that.

Mooney sighed. His Alpha ordered him to explain, so he would, even if it hurt so bad to talk about it that it felt like his heart was torn in two. "Dog betrayed the pack, pack mates and Cub killed." He was actually glad he wasn't Alpha anymore; he didn't have to make decisions now. The wolf was licking him, soothing his nerves and healing him…it had been so long since he'd had company when he transformed and he'd been lonely. It would be nice to wake up in the morning and not be covered in scratches and bite marks where he'd taken out his frustration and anger on himself. "Dog betrayed pack…?"

Gwydion heaved a sigh of relief. He'd thought that was it. It was possible for a werewolf to maintain some sense of self while transformed, but it was too easy for one to get caught up in the thrill of the hunt or battle rage and when they got that way there was no reasoning with them. The human part of the were's mind was buried for the most part when they transformed. The wolf part was much more…primal…and wasn't much for higher thought. Not that it was stupid, just not an intellectual. Apparently Moony had calmed down enough to talk now.

"Dog did not betray pack, it was the Rat. The Rat betrayed the pack. The Cub lives," Gwydion explained with a soft growl, keeping the words simple so the werewolf could understand. "Cub was hidden, couldn't come back until now," Gwydion explained patiently, watching as the rage started to subside in the werewolf's eyes. "Dog did not betray, Rat had the secret, Rat betrayed the pack. The Cub lives – Dog protects the Cub."

"Cub?" Moony yipped hopefully, lifting his head to sniff at Gwydion.

"Are you going to behave yourself now?" The Alpha growled, taking his foot off Moony's side and allowing him to sit up. "Leave the Dog alone, he is pack."

"Pack?" Moony whined and hung his head in shame. "Yes…can we hunt?"

"No, no prey…we'll sleep." Gwydion licked the remorseful were's nose and then allowed Moony to sniff him, accustoming himself to the smell of his new pack leader. Satisfied, Moony moved over to the cold fireplace, sniffing at the remains of the fire from last night before he started around the room, paying particular attention to the chair's the boy's normally sat in.

":- I've got Sirius patched up…we're up in his bedroom. Do you have the were calmed down enough to join us? Sirius was able to cast some warming charms and it's a lot warmer up here.-:" Gavin sent a mental picture of Sirius curled up in dog form on the large bed, a sad look on his face. ":- He's torn up about Remus, he just keeps saying it's his fault.-:"

":- Do what you can to calm him down, the less emotions flying around the better right now. I'll see if the werewolf will go for it, if not I'll lead him down to the kitchen for a few minutes and you can light the fireplace in the drawing room. He's calmer…it depends on if I can get him to accept Sirius as pack.-:"

"We're going to see our pack mate. No fighting, we're going to sleep," Gwydion growled softly to the werewolf, leading him up the stairs to the bedrooms. Moony followed obediently, keeping just behind his new pack leader.

"Sirius, I'm going to bring the werewolf in now…don't make any sudden moves," Gwydion woofed as he approached the open doorway, giving them a little warning. Gavin dipped his head and rustled his feathers from the perch he'd taken on the back of Sirius's desk chair.

"Come ahead," Sirius whined sadly. "I'm as ready as I'll get."

Moony followed him into the bedroom, hesitating when he saw the black dog watching him, but he jumped up onto the bed when his Alpha did, curling up on the end of the bed with a wary eye on the dog.

Gwydion sighed, lying crosswise on the bed with his body straight and his front paws stretched out in front of him, keeping the dog separated from the still wary werewolf. "Are you alright Sirius?"

"I'm fine…I suppose you want the explanation now…," he said wearily, pain and sorrow in his voice. "It all started in our 2nd year when we were at Hogwarts…."

* * *

AN- _Cachu! _(shit!) 


	20. Morning After Conversations

AN- None of the people in this story are mine, except Gavin, and I'm not even sure about that. I don't own any part of the HP world. Darn…

_Conversations in italics are in Elvish.

* * *

_

PHOENIX and DRAGON: Through the World Gate

Chapter 20

"Sirius, can I ask you a question," Gavin said softly, handing the older man a cup of tea and sitting down across from him at the kitchen table. He looked down at it with distaste as he reached for a napkin to wipe at a sticky spot before he set his elbow into it.

"Sure kiddo," Sirius answered absently and dumped a fourth spoonful of sugar into his tea. He started to stir the syrupy liquid as he watched Gavin's attempt to clean with amusement. It had taken two days of work to make the room clean enough to even think about preparing food in there, and Gavin still wasn't satisfied with it. No matter how much scrubbing they did on the table, the sticky spots came back.

"About last night…is it always that painful for a werewolf to change?"

Sirius stopped stirring and looked up at the boy, considering his answer. "How much do you know about werewolves?"

"We were taught that they were once normal people who were infected with a magical curse. Once it's in their blood there is no cure; they change every full moon. There are ways to control it though…there's potions we use to make the wolf quiet…so it doesn't hurt as much…while the half-elf is dieing…," Gavin admitted reluctantly. "Full elves can't be infected, but half-elves can…and they always die."

Sirius sighed, a bit sickened by that information. "It's always that painful, yes. That's why Remus looks older than he is…I was born in January, and he was born in March of the same year, so he's actually younger than me, but he looks at least ten years older."

"So he goes through this every month…," Gavin mused, getting up from the table and checking on the pan of scones Sirius had put in the oven a few minutes earlier. One of the things they'd found buried under all the mess in the kitchen was a cookbook. They'd been taking turns preparing recipe's out of it…to varying degrees of success. This morning Sirius had tried his hand at baking. "Well," he said hesitantly, holding up the pan to show Sirius the results of his latest effort. "I don't think we'll be eating these."

Sirius stood and scraped one of the misshapen blobs of scorched dough off the pan, picking it up gingerly and taking a small bite off one side. "Well, they're not scones…but they aren't bad," he shrugged, and sat back down, dunking the failed scone into his tea to soften it.

"Sirius, you eat rats, you think anything is edible," Gavin said with disgust, scraping the rest of the…scones…into the trash bin.

"You do too!" He retorted with a grin. "And what about the lizard you told me about?"

Gavin just grimaced. "That was nasty. I didn't think it'd taste that bad."

"I have a question for you," Sirius asked, changing the subject. "How did Gwydion know how to make Moony calm down? I don't think I've ever seen him that calm, even when James and I were with him."

"Gwydion's his Alpha…he'll do as he's told or he knows he'll get punished. It's instinct."

"How did Gwydion know how to do that though?" Sirius got up and went over to the trash bin, but Gavin glared at him when he reached for one of the scones in the bin, so he got a plate full of the eggs and sausage that were sitting on the counter under a warming charm instead.

"Lord Herne took Gwydion to the forest and put him in a wolf pack. He lived with them for weeks and used to go back and hunt with them pretty often. They treated him like one of the pack, the lowest member of the pack at first. He got tired of being picked on and learned to fight. Eventually he beat everyone but the Alpha and became the pack Beta. He knows how to make a rival submit without killing him." Gavin got up and started another pan of sausage as he heard a stirring upstairs. Gwydion would be hungry when he got up since they'd all missed their dinner the night before.

"Ohhh, bloody hell…," the man with sandy brown hair moaned from the end of the bed, curling up tighter as the pain of his transformations washed over him.

Gwydion sat up, pushing the blanket someone had put over him partway off so he could move and changed out of his wolf form. The man lay on his side looking ill and shaken, naked except for the shreds of a robe and a blanket similar to his own. He watched with no expression as Remus tried to sit up, making no motion to help him. "You're Remus Lupin."

Remus froze, startled because he hadn't realized he wasn't alone. He turned slowly, raising a shaking hand to brush his shaggy hair out of his eyes. A black haired boy with brilliant green eyes, looking about nine or ten years old, sat at the head of the bed, watching him. "Who…," he began, and then raised his hand to feel the partially healed wound on his neck. "You were the wolf?"

Gwydion nodded, with no expression on his face, but his eyes were wary and almost wolf like as he waited to see what the man would do.

"What should I call you…," Remus said hesitantly. "Sirius called you…Harry?"

Gwydion sat silently for a moment then shook his head. "You may call me Gwydion…or Alpha. Harry doesn't exist anymore." He pushed the blanket all the way off and slid off the bed, turning to look at the werewolf as if considering what to do with him. Finally, he picked up a small wooden tube off the side table and tossed it onto the bed beside Remus. "Sirius left you some clothes on the chair, and the bathroom is across the hall. Take that," he pointed at the tube, "then come downstairs when you are finished, there will be food in the kitchen."

Remus watched as the boy walked gracefully out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him, before reaching for the tube. He pulled the cork carefully out, breaking a wax seal as he did so, and sniffed. The potion wasn't familiar to him, and he dipped a finger into it then touched it to his tongue to taste it. 'Awful. Why does every potion taste awful?' he thought, then sighed and tipped it back, swallowing it in one reluctant gulp.

Almost instantly he started to feel better, and he looked in amazement as a large gash on his forearm started to heal. "What…but how?" He felt his throat and then got up, moving shakily across the room to where a mirror hung on the wall. The cuts on his throat were almost completely healed, the smaller ones were only pink marks, and the larger ones scabbed over as he watched. "Amazing…what was that? I thought I knew all the healing potions…." He stood for several minutes longer; watching as the largest of his wounds disappeared, leaving only faint scars.

Sirius and Gavin looked up as Gwydion came down the steps and walked over to the counter, grabbing a plate and stacking sausage and eggs onto it as if he were starving.

"Well, how is he?" Sirius asked, pouring Gwydion a cup of tea and sliding it across the table to him as the boy dug into his breakfast.

Gwydion shrugged, reaching for the sugar bowl and tipping a generous amount into his cup, stirring it with the handle of his fork because he'd forgotten to pick up a spoon. He'd picked up the habit of over sugaring from his godfather, much to Gavin's disgust.

"He seems alright. Hurting, of course, but I gave him one of the _archoll meddyglyn_ potions, so he should be fine in a little while."

"…Did you talk to him any?" Sirius asked hesitantly. "He used to be one of my best friends…your father's too."

Gwydion shook his head. "Not yet." He looked at Gavin and raised his eyebrow. "Do we tell him everything?" The other boy looked at him for a moment then set his tea down, sat back, and closed his eyes, breathing in a steady in, out, manner. Gwydion watched for a minute then went back to eating.

"What's he doing?" Sirius asked curiously, watching as Gavin sat silently, a calm expression on his face.

Gwydion looked back up. "Talking to the Lady. Asking her opinion I think." He shrugged. "I don't care either way. There are ways to keep him silent if he doesn't take it well."

Sirius looked at his godson, his eyes widening at the boy's casual comment. "What would you do to him?"

"Modify his memory, put a control on him…or kill him if he's too big of a threat," Gwydion answered pragmatically, looking steadily at his godfather. "There's too much at stake here, we can't take a chance if he can't be trusted."

"_He can be_," Gavin answered in Elvish as he opened his eyes again and reached to pick up his tea. "_We need to tell him everything_," he said and gave a look at his twin that Sirius couldn't interpret. "_There may be something we can do about the furry issue too if Lord Herne agrees_."

"_By 'everything' do you mean about the prophecies too_?" Gwydion asked skeptically. He'd have to ask his Lord what Gavin meant about the 'furry problem'. "_I thought we agreed not to tell anyone else_?"

"_She said to tell Lupin. He can help us; nobody will suspect him so he can go out in public if we need something. We're going to need him to rescue Grandfather_."

Gwydion sighed, but nodded agreement. "If that is what _She_ said, then so be it."

Remus hesitated as he came down the stairs leading to the kitchen, staring at the boys sitting with Sirius. He had heard them talking as he came into the entry way but he didn't recognize the lilting language they were speaking, even though he prided himself on his linguistic knowledge.

"Remus," Sirius nodded to his old friend cautiously, waiting to see how he reacted. To his surprise the man didn't say anything, merely moving to the counter and getting a plate full of the breakfast food waiting there. He waited until Remus sat down across from Gwydion before trying again. "Would you like some tea?"

Remus nodded, and reached to take the cup Sirius offered, but Gwydion stopped him, taking the cup and putting several spoons full of sugar into it before passing it on, causing a faint look of disgust to appear on the werewolf's face. "You need the calories, you're too thin," Gwydion insisted with a raised eyebrow.

"Sirius…." Remus looked at his once friend with a weary frown. "Explain to me why I shouldn't kill you right now?"

"Because I wasn't James and Lily's Secret Keeper?" Sirius answered. "We changed it to Peter at the last minute because I thought I was too obvious. Peter was supposed to go into hiding, and I would pretend to be the Secret Keeper and draw off anyone trying to find them. I thought if I couldn't tell the secret, nobody could torture it out of me." He sighed sadly, heartbroken at what his decision had cost the ones he loved like a brother and sister. Sirius looked up at Gwydion, pain in his eyes.

"It would have worked…if Peter hadn't run straight to Voldemort," Sirius admitted with a sigh. "I went to check on Peter that evening, and when he wasn't there I apparated straight to Godric's Hollow…but…it was already too late when I got there. James and Lily were dead, and the house was a smoking ruin. Hagrid was there already…how he found out so fast what had happened I don't know, but he wouldn't let me have Harry, said he'd been ordered by Dumbledore to take him. By the time I got finished with the…bodies…," he choked out, "…I couldn't find Harry."

Gwydion reached across the table and laid a hand on his arm reassuringly as he continued. "By the time I started looking for Harry, Dumbledore had already hidden him behind wards," Sirius explained sadly. "I started searching for Peter…Severus sent word the next day that he'd been seen leaving Diagon Alley, so I apparated there…I found him on a little street just off Charing Cross Road. The bastard started yelling that I was the one that betrayed James and Lily then blew up the bloody street. He must have changed into a rat and gone down the sewer…." Sirius stopped talking for a moment and wiped a tear off his cheek. "I lost it, Remus. I went crazy…I don't even remember the auror's arresting me. I must have been in shock because the next thing I remember is being in a cell and the dementors showing up. From what we've been able to find out, I never even got a hearing, let alone a trial. All the witnesses were muggles, and that fool Fudge was the first on the scene – he ordered them all obliviated because 'it was clear I was guilty' by the way I was acting. Dumbledore…," he stopped again, an angry expression replacing the sadness. "Dumbledore convinced everyone that I was guilty, and that it wasn't necessary to have a trial, so they sent me straight to Azkaban."

Remus sat quietly as he thought about what Sirius had said, than finally responded. "I believe you, but it's going to be hard to prove, especially if Dumbledore was involved." He held his hand out, and then pulled Sirius into a hug when he reached out to shake it. It took a long time for them to regain their composure and both were wiping tears off their faces when they finally released their hold on each other.

Gwydion took Remus's plate of congealed eggs and sausage from him and replaced it with a plate of hot food, gesturing for him to keep eating.

Gavin stood and took his dirty plate over to the sink, then walked back, stopping behind Remus. He held his hand out, barely touching the man's back. "Sit still," he ordered as Remus started to turn. "_Nabod afiechyd_."

"Wha…," Remus gasped, dropping his fork. Gavin's hand began to glow and a blue haze enveloped the werewolf, flowing across his body like liquid smoke. "What are you doing?!"

Sirius watched in fascination as Gavin ran a diagnostic spell over the werewolf, a slight smile on his face as Remus tried to look over his shoulder to see what was happening. He recognized it from the multitude of times the boys had used it on him in the last week or so; it looked different when it was done on someone else, he thought.

"There's extensive damage to your nervous system, inflammation in your joints, scarring on your kidneys, and your immune system is almost nonexistent," Gavin murmured, his eyes unfocused as he concentrated on what his spell was telling him. "Some of the readings are different from last night when you were transformed, but they're worse if anything, like I suspected they would be." He turned to look at his brother. "The _archoll meddyglyn _you gave him helped, Gwydion, but I don't think anything short of a _cyflawn_ _iacha_ will repair all the damage." He stopped the diagnostic and reached for the refilled cup of tea Gwydion offered him. "I'd like to get another reading in a couple days and see how much of the damage heals on its own. The healing rate may determine the best way to fix this."

"Archolth metheegeln? Ceefoun Eaka_?" _Remus asked in confusion. "Would someone mind explaining what is going on? What language is that, and how…," he stopped as he watched Gwydion reheat his cup of tea with an effortless wandless heating spell. "How did you do that wandless!?"

"Well you see, Remus," Sirius began, but Gavin interrupted, not liking the mischievous grin on the man's face.

"_Dirymu_," Gavin said, waving his hand toward his brother, dispelling the charms Sirius had set to conceal the pointed ears and the runes on Gwydion's face, and revealing the burnished gold ring around the iris of his brilliant green eyes. A second wave dispelled the charms on himself as he took a seat beside his brother once more. "We're elves."

"Half-elves if you want to be precise," Gwydion added, reaching up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind his pointed ear. "That was Elvish, Remus."

Remus sat as if he'd been stupefied, his mouth opened in shock. He looked at the boys for a long moment, and then reached cautiously across the table to touch Gavin's ear, then one of the runes on his temple. "How did this happen," he said finally, turning to Sirius in confusion. "I thought he was," he pointed at Gwydion, "…Harry?"

"Blood adoption," Sirius explained calmly, enjoying the sight of the werewolf's confusion. Remus was normally extremely controlled, and it was hard to read him. Right now, however, he fairly radiated shock and confusion. "Gavin's Grandfather saved 'Harry' from Lily's sister Petunia and her bastard of a husband after they nearly killed him. He took him back to wherever the elves live now," he glanced at the boys with a slight frown. "Still not really clear on that yet, so don't think you're getting away with your vague explanations forever," he told the twins.

Both boys looked at him with no hint of comprehension on their faces, much to Sirius's frustration. He continued his explanation after Remus gestured impatiently. "Gavin and 'Harry' did a blood adoption ritual, which changed them both to half-elves, instead of a full elf and a human, and then 'Harry' changed his name to Gwydion." He sat back, waiting for Remus's reaction to his next statement. "Oh, and did I mention their Great Grandfather was Merlin?"

"Haa ha, ha, haaa," Remus laughed, thinking Sirius was joking. "Riiiight." He looked at the boys, expecting them to be laughing too, but his eyes met only serious expressions. "You're not kidding, are you?"

Gavin shook his head. "No, he's not."

Gwydion smiled slightly at the werewolf's astonished expression. "He didn't mention we're avatars of a God and Goddess either."

Remus just sat there for several minutes looking at them, opening his mouth as if to ask a question then closing it without saying anything several times. Finally he managed to ask a question.

"Why did you come 'back' to the human world?"

"Our Grandfather went missing here, and it caused us some problems because we no longer had a guardian when our Great Grandmother was killed a couple weeks ago. He was looking for Sirius, or rather my Godfather or Godmother," Gwydion said, "since we didn't know about Sirius then, we just knew I had one."

"We think he's in a…hospital," Gavin said, stumbling over the unfamiliar word as he looked at Sirius for confirmation.

"From their description of where he's at I'd say its St. Mungo's," Sirius answered. "The problem is, his room is being watched by Order of the Phoenix members, if Gavin's description of the guards is accurate. That means Dumbledore is involved." He stopped for a minute and rubbed his chin with one hand. "I don't like what I've been reading in the Prophet lately either. It seems Dumbledore's been busy in the Wizengamot, trying to invoke the 'Tutela pro thema oraculum' clause in the Ministry Charter in order to take the Longbottom boy away from his Grandmother."

Remus drew in a deep breath and looked at his old friend in disbelief. He'd been staying with a werewolf pack in Ireland for most of the last month and he hadn't seen a newspaper in weeks. "But…," he looked at Gwydion, his eyes drifting to his unmarked forehead. "Harry…Gwydion… was the one Voldemort marked, not Frank and Alice's son! What is he playing at! The 'protection clause' for the subject of a prophecy hasn't been invoked for 400 years!" He sat silently, thinking through what he'd heard. "He must be desperate; he thinks your dead Gwydion, so obviously you weren't the one in the prophecy and it must have been Neville all along. He's lost his weapon against Voldemort so he's grasping at straws…."

"The entire wizarding world thinks I'm dead," Gwydion nodded in agreement. "When I changed my name, it made it seem like Harry Potter died, as far as magic was concerned. From what Sirius has said, Dumbledore must have had tracking spells on me, and they stopped working. Another thing…Dumbledore has tried several times to get the Goblins to release the Potter estate to him; he's somehow gotten papers saying he was my, Harry's, guardian after Sirius was sent to prison."

Remus stood and began pacing slowly around the kitchen as he thought. "There's no way he should have been able to do that…I know that James and Lily talked about naming Amelia Bones, Minerva McGonagall, or Arthur and Molly Weasley as secondary guardians if something happened to Sirius, and I'm sure they chose someone in the end. Things were too dangerous then for them to not have taken that precaution. You were never supposed to go to Petunia, under any circumstances…and it's illegal to ignore a will like that."

"It's illegal to place a wizarding child in an abusive household too, but that didn't seem to have stopped him," Sirius added. "The goblins are looking for a copy of the will, but they have to do it quietly because the Ministry has sealed the Potter's files."

"How convenient," Remus sighed and rubbed his face wearily. "I tried to find you, Gwydion, but Dumbledore refused to say where you had been placed, and threatened to send me to Azkaban if I didn't let it drop." He looked sorrowfully at his best friend's son. "Werewolves are considered Dark creatures and in the last few months of the war the Wizengamot passed several new laws that made it nearly impossible for us to find work; we had to submit to having our homes searched any time the auror's wanted, as well as request permission from the Ministry any time we wanted to go to a public place like Diagon Alley, or more than 10 miles from our homes. If we resisted, we could be killed without a trial. I know a lot of the muggle werewolves were killed when they didn't register with the Ministry. They've relaxed the law since then, but we are still treated as half-human, barely better than animals."

"The more I learn about the wizarding world," Gavin said morosely, "…the less I like it."

Gwydion nodded agreement and got up, clearing the rest of the dishes off the table and taking them to the sink. "Kreacher?"

There was a small 'pop' and the house elf suddenly appeared in front of him, already in mid bow. "Please clean up the dishes, and try to get the table cleaner – it is still sticky." Gwydion sighed as the demented elf dropped to his knees, banging his head on the floor as he shrieked about failing his Great Lords.

"STOP!" Kreacher jerked back up onto his feet, as if on strings. "No punishing yourself, just do the cleaning like I asked," Gwydion scowled as Kreacher hesitated, still determined to punish himself for not getting the table clean enough. "Just clean…I'll tell you when you may punish yourself."

"Great Lord?" Remus asked curiously as he followed Sirius out of the kitchen.

"Let me just tell you about it…," Sirius began with a grin, steering Remus towards the drawing room with an arm around his shoulders. "It was the funniest thing…." The twins followed with a resigned expression on their faces, knowing the animagus was going to tell Remus about their first reaction to the crazed house elf.

* * *

AN- Here's the translations for the non-English phrases in this chapter. 

_archoll _(wound) + _meddyglyn_ ( medicine/drug)

_nabod_ (identify) + _afiechyd_ (illness/disease)

_cyflawn_ (complete or full) + _iacha_ (heal/save)

_dirymu _(nullify/cancel)

[Latin Tutela pro thema oraculum (protection for a person in a prophecy). This clause allows the Ministry to appoint a special guardian for someone judged vital to the fulfillment of a prophecy - in order for them to be protected and trained, of course. Dumbledore wants to control Neville, the only one the prophecy could apply to now, in order to manipulate him into the perfect weapon. The fact that he is the heir to the Longbottom estate doesn't hurt either…after all, Augusta is quite old and accidents do happen.


	21. The Great Escape

AN- _Conversations in italics are in Elvish.

* * *

_

PHOENIX and DRAGON: Through the World Gate

Chapter 21

Remus paused as he reached what appeared to be an abandoned red-brick building on a muggle street in central London. The sign on the dusty window said Purge and Dowse, Ltd., another indicated it was "Closed for Refurbishment." In the front window, a dummy dressed in a style ten years out of date waited patiently, if a dummy could be said to have emotions, for him to state his purpose. He glanced both ways to make sure no muggles were watching then turned to address the dummy.

"Remus Lupin, visiting a patient." The mannequin nodded, and Remus looked around once more then stepped quickly through the window. Inside was a reception area filled with rickety wooden chairs, some occupied by people sporting bizarre features. A woman with multicolor snakes instead of hair sat patiently, reading an outdated issue of _Witch Weekly_. Beside her was a man holding a small child covered in blue feathers. Across the room, an elderly witch was holding the hand of a silver haired wizard with four eyes. Two teenagers who seemed to have switched arms with each other were standing in front of the welcome desk, arguing with the Welcome Witch.

Remus stopped as several healers in lime green robes passed, levitating a man who seemed to have attempted to turn himself into a hedgehog towards the fourth floor where injuries caused by miscast spells were fixed.

"We're going to the fourth floor," Remus whispered softly, as if talking to himself. Patients requiring long term care were located on the fourth floor, so this was the most likely place to find Myrddin, if he was indeed in a coma. He felt two tugs on the back of his robe, indicating the boys were still with him, and walked to the elevator.

Gavin tapped Remus's arm, the signal they'd agreed meant that they wanted to talk. The elevator was empty except for them, so Remus relaxed slightly and cast a muffliato spell. "It's alright to talk now, but make it quick."

"We're going to drop back behind you when you enter the ward," Gavin whispered. "Make sure you distract any healers that are there so we can find him and plant the rune stone. We'll follow you out, but don't leave until we give you the signal."

This was what they had agreed on, so Remus nodded slightly and removed the muffling spell. He lingered in the doorway as the elevator doors opened to prevent it from closing quickly, giving the boys time to get out, and then walked down the hallway past several other wards to the entrance to the long-term residents ward. They had agreed that this was the most likely place for Myrddin to be.

Remus opened the door and hesitated again as he noticed the Longbottom matron sitting between two of the beds on the far side of the ward. He'd met her a couple times when Frank and Alice had invited him, along with James, Lily, and Sirius, over to the Longbottom manor. He remembered how excited Frank had been the night when Neville was born and sighed sadly. Now, Frank and Alice were laying there in hospital beds, staring blankly at the ceiling, looking pale and aged beyond their years. It was tragic how they'd been reduced to this…

"May I help you, sir?" The motherly-looking healer in charge of the ward touched Remus's arm to catch his attention, and he turned to her with a start.

"Oh…yes….," Remus said, focusing his attention to the healer. "I was looking for Madam Longbottom, I was told she was here and I would like to speak with her?" This wasn't the actual excuse they'd agreed upon when they were planning this, it was better… since he really did want to speak with her concerning her grandson.

Gavin and Gwydion ghosted past Remus, splitting up as they moved through the ward to quickly look at each of the figures in the beds, checking carefully to make sure the ones with the covers pulled up were not Myrddin.

Gwydion slid silently through a gap in a square of screens set to enclose a single bed and hide the occupant from the rest of the ward. "Grandfather…," Gwydion breathed, reaching out to stroke Myrddin's pale cheek. He froze when he heard a soft snort and then a sniffling sound and a faint rustling, coming from the apparently empty chair on the other side of the bed. There was a guard under a wizard's invisibility cloak. Gwydion carefully placed an egg shaped stone carved with runes on the floor beside Myrddin's bed and backed out through the gap in the screens.

Remus meanwhile, had crossed the ward to where Augusta sat holding her son's limp hand.

"Madam Longbottom?" Remus said quietly. She looked up at him, the vulture on her strange hat bobbing its head slightly as she moved.

"Yes?"

"I don't know if you remember me," Remus began, but she cut him off.

"Yes, of course I do. You're Frank's friend, Remus Lupin…," Augusta nodded her head and set Franks hand back on his bed with a last sad pat. "You wished to speak with me?"

"Yes, would you join me for a cup of tea in the Visitor's Tearoom on the fifth floor?" Remus gestured towards the door and smiled slightly as Augusta agreed. He let out a breath of relief as he felt a single tug, followed by two more quick tugs on the back of his robe. One of the boys had found Myrddin!

Several minutes later, Remus was sitting with the older woman at a small table beside a window overlooking the busy London streets far below them.

"Are you sure this is the best way to do this?" A barely audible voice whispered in his ear, and he felt a hand clench his shoulder. He nodded slightly, and there was a sigh as whichever boy it was reacted. "Alright, it's on your head then if she reacts badly."

"Do you mind if I cast something so we'll have some privacy?" Remus asked quietly, gesturing at the other people in the Tearoom. He quickly cast muffliato, and a notice-me-not spell when Mrs. Longbottom nodded in agreement.

"So, Mr. Lupin, how can I help you?" Augusta sipped her tea, watching the man over the rim of the cup. She remembered him as the serious one out of the group of hooligans her son had befriended. Frank had said once that he was the only one of the bunch, besides Lily, that had a lick of sense. She hadn't heard anything about him since the Potter's death, and her son and daughter-in-law's torture, but she didn't know of any reason to distrust him, so she decided to listen to what he had to say.

"I wanted to speak with you about the legislation Dumbledore is trying to push through the Wizengamot," Remus began, setting his tea cup down on the saucer with a clink. "The Tutela pro thema oraculum."

Her face was nearly expressionless, but her eyes displayed a sharp glint of interest. "He _claims_ there's a prophecy, but he won't tell anyone what it says, or who gave it, or who besides him heard it," Augusta admitted with disgust. "I don't know whether to believe there is one or not. I've managed to block him so far, but he's persistent." She gestured for him to continue.

"There really is a prophecy. I don't know the entire thing, but the first part says that "the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…." He sighed and swirled the dregs of his tea before finishing the last swallow. He resisted the sudden impulse to tip the tea leaves over into his saucer – he wasn't sure he wanted to know what they might show him. "Sibyll Trelawney spoke it to Dumbledore, shortly before July of 1981. Someone overheard part of it and told the Dark Lord, which is why Dumbledore told both James and Lily, and Frank and Alice, to go into hiding," he explained. "At that point it could have applied to either Harry or Neville, but as far as I know he never told Frank or James the entire prophecy."

He paused to watch her reaction as she heard that Dumbledore knew the full prophecy but apparently hadn't told the people it concerned the most. "Then on Halloween of 1982, the Dark Lord attacked Godric's Hollow. He killed James and Lily and then tried to kill Harry and his body was destroyed somehow, in the process marking Harry as the one the prophecy was about." Remus lifted his hand and traced a lightning bolt on his forehead.

"If Dumbledore knows this, why does he want to control Neville so badly…," Augusta frowned as an explanation came to her. If Harry was dead, he must think Neville was the one the prophecy spoke of, not Harry. It explained so much, including the way Dumbledore was acting now. Why hadn't her son told her? "I suppose James and Lily told you this?"

Remus shook his head slightly. "No…Harry told me."

Augusta's eyes widened and she looked around to make sure nobody was watching them. "Harry is dead…," she started to say then stopped when Remus shook his head again. "He's not?"

Her eyes narrowed as she thought about the ramifications if this were true. She picked up her tea again. "You're certain he's the one the prophecy spoke of, not Neville?"

Remus nodded with a slight smile. "Yes." He pulled his wand out and held it in front of him, out of sight of the rest of the Tearoom customers. "I, Remus John Lupin swear by my life and magic that everything I have said here is the truth." His wand glowed for a moment, confirming his words.

Augusta smiled and leaned forward eagerly. "Where has he been? How did he slip Albus's leash, and why couldn't anyone locate him? I know the old coot had tracking charms on the boy, blood ones too if I know him. He's not one to let anything out of his grip once he's got it."

"Someplace the tracking charms couldn't reach, a magical blood adoption by the people who rescued him, and a ritual that changed his identity so magic doesn't recognize him as Harry Potter," Remus explained, ticking the answers off on his fingers with a smirk.

She sat back, thoughts of the political repercussions if anyone found out Harry Potter was alive running through her mind. "You can't tell anyone…Dumbledore would tear half of England apart looking for him if he has even a hint the boy's alive, and the Ministry will tear up the other half to keep the boy-who-lived out of Dumbledore's hands. I think he's getting desperate, and he'll need watching closely."

Remus shook his head. "We don't intend to tell anyone else. I only told you because of Neville. I need your oath that you will keep this secret, and then I'll tell you the rest."

She sat for a long time, long enough for Remus to start to worry and finger his wand under the table. Finally she pulled her wand out of her purse and held it in front of her. "I, Augusta Eglantine Radford Longbottom swear on my life and magic that I will not speak of anything Remus Lupin has revealed to me today or anything he tells me in the future concerning the prophecy, or Harry Potter, without his express permission." A glow surrounded the wand as the oath took effect.

"Now, tell me why you wanted me to know this?" Augusta looked at Remus with a raised eyebrow.

"We think that Dumbledore believes…Vol… Voldemort," Remus stuttered on the vile name but managed to say it finally, "...will return. He intends to use Neville to fulfill the prophecy, no matter how it affects him, or anyone else, I suspect," Remus explained grimly. "He's fixated on Neville because Harry Potter is no longer available to him; apparently he thinks that since Harry died, he wasn't the one the prophecy concerned... I don't know what would happen to Neville if he was forced to fight that monster, but it wouldn't be good. We have a plan in the works to get the prophecy and find out the exact wording, but we have something to take care of first." He stopped for a minute, knowing what he was going to say next could set off an explosion.

"I want you to give Neville to me, to train him and keep him away from Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic. Dumbledore's nearly got enough votes to get his way, once he does there's nothing you can do. If you don't have him, though, they can't force you to give him up. When he's eleven, we'll send him to Hogwarts with Harry, under a disguise so Dumbledore won't know who he is."

He was surprised she didn't hex him into a glowing puddle, right where he sat. She looked furious at the suggestion she give up Neville, but then her expression changed and a calculating look entered her eyes. "Who is this "we" you are talking about, and what do you intend to teach him that I couldn't? Neville hasn't shown much magic…we weren't sure he even had any until recently."

"You need to see to believe," a lilting voice said softly in Augusta's ear, and she felt a smooth, water rounded stone being pressed into her hand by someone she couldn't see. "Tap this with your wand when you are ready to speak with us, and we will come. Please be careful, I think you're being watched."

Augusta set what she'd been given on the table beside her teacup, where it couldn't be seen from the rest of the room, and looked around casually, trying to see who had spoken to her. She saw nothing out of place so she looked at the stone curiously. A number of runes of a type she was not familiar with had been etched into the surface of a smooth black stone, about the size of a slightly flattened hen's egg, and then the lines filled with a white substance so the runes stood out.

Remus widened his eyes slightly in surprise as he saw the rune stone and stood, bowing courteously to Augusta. The boys had called the rune stone a drift target and had explained its use to him; he'd watched Gavin making several of them, but he hadn't known that he intended to use one for this.

"We can speak of this later, in a more secure place. I promise I'll answer all your questions." He picked up the stone, and set it in her hand again. "Set this on the floor of your entryway and tap it with your wand. We'll come and explain everything, make it sometime tomorrow though; we have something we need to do tonight." Remus said softly, curling her hand around the stone to conceal it. "Please be careful. If something happened to you, Dumbledore would have no problem getting custody of Neville…."

Sometime later, Remus sat facing an irate Sirius across the now clean kitchen table.

"I can't believe you did that, Remus!" Sirius thumped the table with his fist and glared at his friend. "You took a big risk talking to her!"

Gwydion munched on an apple as he watched the two men argue, wondering if he should interfere before it got worse. Finally he stood up, drawing their attention. "It doesn't matter," he stated calmly. "Gavin was _told_ to give her the stone, so obviously she was supposed to know about us. We'll have to wait and see what happens when we have our meeting with her. Right now, however, we need to make sure we're ready to go get Grandfather."

"I've got the room ready, and I brewed some potions that might help, just in case," Sirius replied, ashamed that a nine year old was acting more adult than he was. "I wish I was coming with you though," he added.

"It's too great a risk," Remus answered, running his hands through his shaggy hair. "Gavin and I'll be making a distraction out in the hallway to draw the guard away. If something happens and we're separated, nobody will be looking for me – even if my disillusionment fails, I can blend into the crowd and slip out. If someone saw you, they'd be screaming for the auror's."

"You're going to have a glamour on anyway, so why couldn't I…," Sirius stopped when Gwydion started shaking his head and sighed, still not happy. "Gwydion, you need to get your grandfather as quickly as you can. Bring him straight back to the room I've got set up. I'll be waiting."

* * *

St. Mungo's was quiet tonight; very few people were in the waiting room for a change. It was after visiting hours and the only one in the Tearoom was the witch behind the counter. Remus and Gavin drifted into an empty office on the fourth floor, landing on the rune stone Gavin had dropped there that morning.

"Ready?" Remus asked, taking a handful of prank's out of his robe pocket.

Gavin grinned at him, tossing a large dung bomb up and down in his hand. "Ready!"

Remus disillusioned himself, and Gavin did the elven equivalent, and then they opened the door.

Elphias Doge sat up suddenly and set his book down, as a shrill scream echoed down the corridor from the direction of the healer's office. He stood, undecided…he was supposed to stay and guard the "mystery man," but he was unconscious, and likely to stay that way for the near future at least. A second scream joined the first, and several more voices could be heard raised in argument. He stood finally and moved to the door of the ward, opening it just enough to stick his head, covered by the invisibility cloak, out and see what was going on.

An apprentice healer ran past in the direction of the elevator, a hand held over her mouth, the scent of dung bomb mixed with another even worse smell following in her wake. More shrieks, this time of anger, sounded from down the hall, and Elphias grinned as he realized what had happened. Apparently someone had pulled a prank on the healers. He walked back to the screened area, intending to sit down and finish the book he'd been reading before his relief showed up in an hour…but the bed was empty!

"Dumbledore!" He yelled as he tapped his wand on the small mirror the leader of the Order of the Phoenix had given the guards. "Dumbledore!"

"Yes, Elphias," Dumbledore answered calmly. "No need to yell. What is happening?"

"The man's gone! I just stepped to the door to see what a noise was in the hallway, didn't even open it all the way, and when I came back he was gone!" Elphias insisted. "There's no way anyone could have gotten past me!"

"Check and make sure the apparition and port key wards are still up," Dumbledore instructed. "I'll be there in just a few minutes."

* * *

"How is he Gavin?" Sirius asked quietly, watching as the boys worked over their grandfather. Remus had thought to grab Myrddin's medical file when they attacked the healer's station with the pranks, and Gwydion took the clipboard off the end of the bed when he drifted his grandfather out of the long-term care ward. It had been a big help - Sirius had been able to interpret the test results so they knew what potions Myrddin had been given and what treatments he'd received.

The fractured skull he'd received in the Hogs Head Tavern had healed, as had the bruises he'd gotten in the scuffle, but he was still suffering from the multiple stunners he'd been hit with. Otherwise, he was more or less healthy.

"He's not as bad as I was afraid he'd be," Gavin answered quietly as he cast a diagnostic spell to check the improvement after the last healing spell Gwydion had done. "I haven't tried to wake him up yet… I think he's gone into his own mind so he couldn't be questioned."

Gwydion lifted his grandfather's head and carefully dripped a potion into his mouth, stroking his throat to make sure he swallowed it. "I think we're ready to wake him up Gavin," he said, putting the vial aside. "He's already responding to the strengthening potion."

Gavin nodded then climbed onto the bed, kneeling beside his grandfather. He set his fingers on the man's temples and closed his eyes, a look of concentration settling on his face.

Gwydion touched Sirius's arm to get his attention and motioned that he and Remus should leave, following them out and shutting the door quietly.

"Why aren't you helping?" Remus asked as they entered Sirius's bedroom and took seats in front of the fireplace.

"Gavin's better at this type of thing," Gwydion explained with a shrug. "I'm better at attacking someone's mind, what you wizards call legillimency, but he's better at mind healing." He turned sideways in the chair and pulled his feet up, wrapping his arms around his knees and laying his head down on them. "I don't know how long it will take, but if he's not found him in an hour I'll make him take a break."

"Would you like to hear about your father while we wait?" Sirius asked suddenly, trying to distract his godson. He didn't wait for an answer, starting into a long story about a prank the Marauders had played on the Ravenclaw's in their fifth year.

Everyone looked up about a half hour later when the bedroom door opened and Gavin stuck his head in with a big grin on his face. "He's awake!" He had to jump back, to avoid getting run over by his brother.

Myrddin was propped up in bed, looking around the room curiously as they all came in. Gwydion flew across the room and wrapped his arms around his grandfather, sobbing as he was pulled onto the bed and into a big hug.

"I'm sorry Grandfather!" Gwydion sniffed finally, wiping tears of relief off his cheeks. "I was so worried…I didn't think we'd be able to find you…," he admitted quietly as Myrddin ran his hand through the boy's hair to calm him.

"It wasn't your fault, little one," Myrddin admitted wearily as Gwydion settled on the bed beside him, his head on the man's chest. "I got careless and asked too many questions, I think." He turned to look at the two unfamiliar men standing beside the bed. "Gavin, could you introduce me to your friends?"

Gavin blushed with embarrassment for having to be reminded of his manners, and then bowed to his grandfather. "Grandfather, I would like to introduce Remus John Lupin, a wise man and a friend, and this is Sirius Orion Black, Lord of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. He is Gwydion's godfather, and we are guests in his house." He turned to face Sirius and Remus. "Lord Black, Mr. Lupin, this is our Grandfather, Myrddin Rhys Emrys."

Sirius and Remus both bowed to the man in the bed. "I am glad you are alright, Sir," Sirius said, reaching out to pull Gavin against him in a one armed hug. "The boys were really worried about you."

Myrddin looked at the boys, and they both looked away, unable to meet his eyes. "I understand…but why are you here in the human world? You should be back in Cymru with Etain?" Myrddin looked at Gavin again, but he turned and put his arms around Sirius, burying his head against the dark haired man's chest.

Sirius looked down at Gavin sadly and pulled him closer, putting his arms around the boy as he started crying quietly.

Myrddin looked down at Gwydion.

Gwydion sat up reluctantly, looking over at Gavin for help, but realizing his brother was too upset to talk. "You were all we had left," he began hesitantly. "Great Grandmother was…," he stopped as tears began to trickle down his cheeks again. "She…."

Gavin turned around, still in the circle of Sirius's arms. "She was killed when men from one of the factions kidnapped us. They killed her…we didn't even have a chance to fight back…It was the ones who want the Gate closed I think," he explained angrily, wiping the tears off his face. He was angry, as well as grief stricken, about what had happened to his beloved Great Grandmother. "The High Council would have taken us from the Grove, so we had to run before they had a chance to find us. Newlyn helped us get through the Gate, and then we found a place to hide."

"They rescued me from Azkaban, the wizarding prison," Sirius explained quietly. "I was put there after Gwydion's parents were killed…everyone thought I was the one that told the Dark Lord where they were…but we had switched Secret Keepers."

Remus took up the story then. "The real Secret Keeper was another friend of ours," he started to explain, but Myrddin interrupted.

"Peter Pettigrew, right?" Myrddin smiled slightly when they looked surprised. "I had found out about you being sent to prison, Sirius, and I had my doubts about your guilt, but no proof." Myrddin sighed, laying his head back and closing his eyes for a minute. "I was going to try and find you, to ask you some questions and get you out if you proved to be innocent, but I was attacked before I could." He opened his eyes and looked at Sirius and Remus. "I don't suppose you know who hit me, do you?"

Sirius and Remus exchanged looks then turned back to Myrddin. "Dumbledore's men," Remus answered. "Not sure which ones, but I can guess. You were asking questions about someone he wanted forgotten," he said. "They were guarding you at St. Mungo's, the wizard hospital; we had to break you out." He growled softly, the wolf showing in his eyes. "I'm almost sorry we left before Dumbledore got there."

"So am I," both boys said at the same time, grim expressions on their faces.

* * *

AN- I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. Please let me know if you spot mistakes so I can correct them? Thanks for the reviews, especially the ones with comments!


	22. What Dreams May Come

AN- _Conversations in italics are in Elvish_. ":- The ones like this are mind to mind and are not spoken at all.-:"

* * *

PHOENIX and DRAGON: Through the World Gate

Chapter 22

It was a low moan that woke him. Gavin opened his eyes, trying to figure out what he'd heard, but all was silent for a long while. The moan came again, just as he was one breath from falling asleep again. Green eyes snapped open, and he rolled over in bed, pushing the blankets down as he sat up.

"_Gwydion? Are you alright_?"

"Mmmm…nnnn…," Gwydion murmured, twisting his head to the side as if trying to avoid a touch. "Noooo, don't…." He tried to pull his arm out from under the blankets, but it was tangled in the twisted sheet. He pulled harder, starting to fight the bedding.

"_Gwydion_!" Gavin called, hoping to wake his brother before the dream got worse.

"NO! Don't….NO!" Gwydion said, his voice rising as his agitation increased. "Please…."

Gavin pushed the blankets all the way off and slid off the bed, his feet hitting the cold floor with a thump as he quickly crossed the room to his brother's bed.

"_Gwydion_," he called softly, shaking his now moaning brother's shoulder gently. The only response was an increase in the movements Gwydion was making. He started to fight the blankets harder, as if he were struggling to get out of someone's grasp. Gavin shook his shoulder harder and tried to pull the blankets loose, starting to get frantic. It was _never_ good when Gwydion had these dreams.

"NOOOO! PLEASE…don't…don't…," Gwydion sat up with a scream, flinging his brother away from the bed with a blast of accidental magic. Gavin hit the floor hard and stayed there for a moment, trying to get his breath back.

"_Ooof…ouch_," Gavin stood up, rubbing his elbow where it had hit the floor painfully. "_Gwydion! Wake up_!"

Things were starting to move around the room in a steadily increasing wind. Gavin batted a sock out of his face as the clothes they'd set out for the morning started flying in a circle centered around Gwydion. Soon larger things started moving.

"_Oh, Goddess…no…GWYDION! Wake up_!" Gavin pleaded, lifting his arm to protect his face as a picture was torn off the wall and sent crashing against one of the posts of his bed. Jagged splinters from the broken frame swirled through the air. "_Wake up, its alright_!"

Gavin cast a shield around himself against to protect against the flying debris and tried to get closer to his brother's bed, but the force of Gwydion's uncontrolled magic pushed him back.

"NOOOO! PLEASE…Don't hit me…I won't do it again!," Gwydion wailed, finally crawling out of his blankets. He ended up curled against the headboard of his bed, his arms over his head to protect it from invisible blows. He whimpered as a flying book hit him, and started to cry as his dream punishment was reinforced by reality. "Noooo…please…stop!."

The bedroom door swung open abruptly and Sirius stepped inside. "What's going on…," he started to say, then ducked suddenly as part of a small table hit the doorframe beside his head. A trickle of blood from a splinter dripped down his cheek as he pulled his wand and started vanishing some of the debris flying around the room.

"What's going on!" Remus yelled, peeking around the door frame, his eyes widening as the larger furniture started to shake. His eyes traveled around the nearly destroyed room and settled on Gwydion. "Gavin, what's wrong with Gwydion!?"

Gavin wiped tears off his face and turned to look at the older wizards. He'd been trying to cast calming spells on his brother, but Gwydion kept blocking them unconsciously. "He's having a nightmare, and it's caused a flashback to when he lived with his Aunt and Uncle." He sobbed as Gwydion started screaming, still pleading with someone to stop. "I can't wake him up! Get Grandfather!!"

Sirius paled, and pushed Remus aside as he left the room, running down the hallway to the room they'd given Myrddin.

Myrddin opened his eyes and sat up with a gasp as the bedroom door was flung open and a wild eyed Sirius burst in. "Gavin said to get you – Gwydion's having a flashback!"

It only took a moment for the words to sink in, then Myrddin was out of bed and moving quickly down the hall.

"How long has it been Gavin," the half-elf called as he put up his own shield and tried to approach the now whimpering boy. "What kind is it?"

"It's only been a couple minutes I think, it started pretty quickly," Gavin replied, his eyes on his brother. He tried another calming spell, with the same result at the ones before. "It's one of the bad ones. I can't get him to wake up, and he's blocking."

Myrddin sighed and closed his eyes. Gwydion hadn't had one of these for several years, and they'd hoped he had put his fear and pain behind him. Occlumency helped, but on rare occasions something he saw, or even a particular smell or sound, could cause Gwydion to relive one of the terrible things that had happened to him before he had been rescued from the hell his early life had been.

Myrddin tried casting a calming spell, and then one to awaken Gwydion, but he showed no sign's of regaining consciousness. Sirius raised his wand to try, but Myrddin put his hand out, shaking his head. "Don't, his magic would consider it an attack." He tried another spell to send Gwydion deeper into sleep, where he wouldn't dream, but it had no affect. "_Amddiffyn_!" He yelled finally, trying to cast a wide area physical shield around the shivering boy to at least protect him from the flying debris his own wild magic had created. It worked, to some extent, since it wasn't cast directly on Gwydion, but the debris within the shield was still hitting him, causing welts and small cuts. He concentrated, trying to force the shield tighter, to dampen the force of the wind. "_You'd better see if his Lord can wake him_, _I can't get any spells through either_," Myrddin told Gavin, raising his voice to be heard over the clatter the larger furniture was making as it banged against the walls.

Gavin nodded and moved around his Grandfather, pushing past Remus and Sirius to reach the quieter hallway. They looked at him for an explanation. "I'm going to ask for help."

Gavin leaned against the wall and wiped tears off his cheeks before closing his eyes and taking a deep calming breath. ":- Bright Lady? Please, I need to speak with the Lord,-:" he whispered quietly in his mind. He felt a stirring, as if he'd drawn the attention of an infinitely powerful being.

":- What is it child?-:" A voice that sounded like the darkest forest spoke in his mind.

Gavin took another calming breath. ":- Great Lord, I thank you for answering my call. Gwydion is having a flashback and none of us can wake him. I…please…will you help?-:" He felt a wave of reassurance, and relaxed with a sigh. He opened his eyes and yelped in surprise, his head thumping the wall painfully as he flinched backwards. Both Remus and Sirius were crouching in front of him, their concerned faces no more than six inches from his, hopeful eyes locked on his face.

"Well, what did they say?" Sirius asked frantically, wincing as he heard a sudden crash from the boy's bedroom.

ooooooooooo::::ooooooooooo

Harry cringed and clenched his fists as he heard Vernon slam the front door open so hard it rattled the nearby window, then close it with a crash that resounded throughout the house. He could feel the man's anger through the door of his cupboard. Loud footsteps shook the floor as his furious uncle came closer. The cupboard door crashed open, so hard it left a dent in the wall from the knob.

"BOY! What have I told you about that freakiness!" Vernon roared, reaching in to grab Harry by the hair, dragging the petite boy out of the limited safety the dark cupboard offered and flinging him roughly against the wall. "I've warned you! I won't stand for that…that…rubbish in my house! Now you're going to see what happens when you disobey!!" His face, normally flushed anyway, was beet red, slowly darkening towards purple on the edges of his multiple chins.

"Please…."Harry whimpered, curling up to try and protect his face. "Please…don't…I didn't mean to do it…."

Vernon's face reddened further, and a look of crazed glee settled on his face as he pulled his wide leather belt off, dangling the buckle in Harry's face tauntingly before drawing his arm back for the first blow…

ooooooooooo::::ooooooooooo

"Little one…wake up. It is not real, you are safe. He can not hurt you here."

Gwydion opened his eyes and slowly unrolled from the tightly curled position he'd been laying in. All around him was mist, swirling and billowing in an unseen wind. He sat slowly up and unclenched his fists; looking down to discover blood oozing from the palms of his hand where his fingernails had cut them. A small sound brought his eyes up again as Lord Herne knelt down gracefully at his side, strong arms opened for him and a concerned expression on his face.

Gwydion flung himself into his Lord's arms, clutching at his robes as he sobbed helplessly. "When is it going to stop? Why does he keep hurting me, even after so long," he whispered. "What did I do that was so wrong?"

Herne stroked Gwydion's hair gently with one hand, the other rubbed a slow circle on his back. "You did nothing wrong. You are a powerful mage, and magic is natural to you; you were only acting as your magic demanded." He held Gwydion tighter as the boy shook his head in denial. "You did nothing to deserve the pain, child. Nothing."

"No, he hated me…he said I was a freak," the emerald eyed child whispered brokenly. "Why? Why did he have to hurt me…."

Herne sighed, lowering his head to rest his cheek on his young avatar's head. "He was wrong, you are not a freak. You are mine, child, and I am proud of you." He gathered Gwydion against him, slipping an arm under the boy's knees and tightening his hold on the slim shoulders as he rocked backwards on his heels, rising to his feet with the boy held against his chest. "Come, we will go speak with the Lady Donn. She is most concerned about you…."

Back in Grimmauld Place, everyone heaved a sigh of relief as Gwydion relaxed, his sobs quieting and the wind slowly dieing as his magic settled. Myrddin moved to the side of the bed, stepping carefully with his bare feet to avoid the splinters and shards of broken bits of things on the floor. He dropped his shield and cast a diagnostic spell, and then nodded to Gavin reassuringly.

"He'll be fine." Myrddin closed his eyes, and wiped a tear away. "_Thank you, Lord Herne_," he whispered as he carefully picked Gwydion up in his arms and walked towards the door. "_Please keep him safe_."

Sirius heard the barely audible plea and looked at the half-elf uncertainly. "What happened? Why did it stop?"

Gavin looked up at his brother's godfather, a sad expression on his face. "He's with his Lord and my Lady now…hopefully _they_ will be able to comfort him." Sirius and Remus exchanged looks of confusion, but neither Myrddin nor Gavin would explain.

"Go to bed, there's nothing more we can do tonight. He should be alright in the morning," Myrddin said quietly, motioning the two wizards towards their rooms with a nod of his head. "I'm going to put the boys in the room next to mine, so Gwydion doesn't see this mess when he wakes up." He nudged Gavin with his shoulder to get him moving, and led him down the hall. He laid Gwydion down on the bed, carefully pulling the covers up over both boys, after Gavin climbed in and pulled his deeply asleep brother against him.

"Not now," Myrddin said, waving the wizards confused questions away as he pushed them out of the room. "We'll speak about this in the morning."

The next morning, Myrddin had to cast binding spells on both wizards and tie them to their chairs before he could finish explaining what had happened to Gwydion before he'd been rescued. Both were incoherent with rage and would undoubtedly have torn the Dursley's limb from limb with their bare hands if they'd been able to reach them. Remus's eyes had turned amber as the wolf rose, ready to defend his pack.

Gavin entered partway through the explanation and started making tea, preparing a tray to take back upstairs. "Gwydion's starting to wake up." He looked at both the wizards, a pleading expression on his face. "Please, don't say anything to him about his flashback. They really frighten him, and he doesn't need to be reminded about what happened last night. Knowing what happens when he has one makes him feel terrible; he'll have a hard enough time when he see's what his magic did to the room without having you bring up the things that made him have the nightmare."

"But," Sirius said stubbornly after Myrddin released the magical bindings. "He needs to talk to someone about this…."

Gavin shook his head. "He does…what do you think happened last night?" Remus raised his eyebrow questioningly and Sirius leaned forward, eager to hear the explanation for the previous night's events. "He spent the night talking with his Lord and Lady Donn. Do you think that you'd be able to help him if a god and goddess couldn't?"

"But...I want to help him, he's my godson," Sirius said back, a bewildered expression on his face.

Remus frowned slightly. "What do you mean, talking to them?"

"He…traveled to see them. I guess that's the best way to say it," Gavin said with a shrug, setting the sugar bowl on the tray and lifting it. "Mentally, I mean. We go to where they stay sometimes, and speak to them." He got a faraway look in his eyes and a small smile touched his lips. "My Lady smells like lavender under the moonlight…and her hair is soft as silver silk," he said softly, then focused his eyes back on the wizards, his expression serious once more. "Lord Herne smells like the deep forest, and like the forest, sometimes he's hard and cruel, but he care's deeply for Gwydion and will help him get through his pain." He turned and left, taking the tray upstairs before the wizards could ask another question.

Sirius and Remus turned to look at Myrddin after Gavin left. This talk of 'corporeal' Gods and Goddesses made them uneasy. Sirius cleared his throat. "How often do these flashbacks happen?"

Myrddin sighed. "Fairly often, when he was little; we had to give him sleeping potions almost every night for the first few months after he came to us, to keep him from tearing the house down with his nightmares. As far as I know he hasn't had any for the last year or so, but I think coming back to the human world is awakening bad memories again." He reached out to clasp Sirius's shoulder. "Let it lie. Gavin is right, there's nothing you or I can do, and speaking about it only makes his pain worse."

Both wizards nodded reluctantly, agreeing to drop it for Gwydion's sake, even though Moony was still growling angrily in Remus's mind.

* * *

Myrddin walked slowly down the stairs to the ground floor of the house, holding onto the stair railing with a firm grip. He felt a lot better than he had two days ago, but he was still a little bit shaky so he'd spent the morning reading in front of the fire in the drawing room.

Gwydion had been quiet for most of the previous day and spent most of it reading or meditating, but he'd woken in good spirits this morning and seemed to have enough energy for two boys.

"Myrddin?" Remus called as he heard the sound of footsteps coming down the kitchen stairs. "I've just taken out a pan of oatmeal biscuits, would you like a couple?"

"I wouldn't mind one or two," Myrddin admitted as he came down the steps and took a seat at the long wooden table. "Where are the boys?" He took a couple oatmeal biscuits off the plate Remus offered him and poured a cup of tea out of the pot the werewolf set beside him.

"Sirius has them up on the third floor. I think they're trying to reclaim the library." Remus smiled slightly; he'd seen the library, and he knew it wasn't going to be an easy job. "I think they'll be down pretty soon, they've been up there for several hours and they should be ready for a break."

Both men looked up as they heard a thunder of feet on the stairs, and the exuberant voices of the boys.

"Woooo Hoo!" Gavin whooped as he straddled the stair rail and slid the last several feet down it. Gwydion jumped over the last couple steps and hit the floor the same time as his brother. They both ran down the steps into the kitchen and flopped onto chairs beside Myrddin.

"It looks like you've been crawling through dirt," Myrddin observed, reaching out to pick a thick cobweb off Gwydion's head. "Did you have much luck cleaning?"

Gavin nodded, then grabbed several warm oatmeal biscuits and got up, eating one in a couple bites as he went to the cooler for a pitcher of pumpkin juice. Gwydion got up when he saw where his brother was going and went to get several glasses from the cupboard.

"Wash your hands first!" Remus ordered, pointing them both to the sink. "Use soap too." The boys made a face at him and laughed when he made one back, but they obeyed him and soon returned to the table.

"Yes Grandfather, we got most of the dirt off the tops of things, and cleaned a nest of doxies out of the curtains. Nasty looking things, and Sirius says they're poisonous if they bite. Gwydion found some huge spiders in one of the desks, and there was a nest of something Sirius called puffskeins. Too bad they were dead." Gavin shook his head sadly.

"There's still a lot to be done, but we thought it was time to take a break," Gwydion explained. "We're going to watch Sirius get an infestation of chizpurfle's out of the Black family tapestry after dinner."

"Why after dinner?" Myrddin asked.

Gwydion finished the mouthful of oatmeal biscuit and took a drink of pumpkin juice, making a face at the taste before waving his hand over the glass to change it into apple juice. He still wasn't accustomed to the traditional wizarding drink and preferred fruit juice. "He said he had to look up the right spell to get rid of them – he didn't want to damage the tapestry." He took another bite of biscuit and chewed slowly, savoring the hint of cinnamon and the sweet taste of the raisins Remus had added. "Some of the books we found looked dangerous…Sirius says his family had a lot of dark wizards in it, and they weren't very nice…he asked us not to try to read any of the books until he could sort out the worst of them because some may have curses on them."

Gavin grimaced, thinking about some of the titles he'd seen. "I don't think I want to read some of those books anyway. There was one that Sirius said was bound in human skin…."

Myrddin frowned and turned to Remus. "What kind of family keeps books bound in human skin?"

Sirius entered the kitchen and sat down wearily beside Remus. "Dark families do, Myrddin. Mine has been mostly dark for the last several hundred years… Purebloods, and proud of it. Too bloody arrogant to associate with anyone they considered beneath them…which was most of the wizarding world." He sighed and accepted a cup of tea from Remus. "I was the first heir in six generations not to be sorted into Slytherin, and I was basically disowned for it."

"It didn't help that he was sorted into Gryffindor instead," Remus explained with a small smile. "They probably would have accepted Ravenclaw," he added as Sirius nodded agreement, "but Gryffindor was totally out of the question, and they really let him know that."

"Yeah," Sirius said with a shake of his head. "Howlers every day for a week, from every living relative I had left, I think. Then to add insult to injury, I became best friends with the heir to one of the most powerful _light_ families in the wizarding world, Gwydion's father, James Potter," he stopped and gestured towards Remus. "My other best friend was outed as a werewolf right after we graduated. I'd already moved out by that point, luckily, or they might have done more than just burn my name off the family tapestry."

Remus nodded sadly. "He didn't go home again after the summer of fifth year; that summer was pretty bad, he ended up climbing out a window in the middle of the night and flying to James's house on a broomstick so old it was a miracle it stayed in the air. He stayed with the Potter's for the summers after that."

"The final straw was that I wouldn't join Voldemort, even though my younger brother Regulus joined when he turned sixteen." Sirius frowned into the bottom of his empty teacup as if reading bad news in the sodden tea leaves. "He died a couple years later…we never did find out what happened to him."

"So, you were disinherited?" Myrddin asked.

"Not officially, no…but I have no doubt they would have if they'd had anyone else. There were no other male Blacks left to inherit by the time my father died. It was me, or let the family name die out. My mother didn't have the authority to disinherit me, or she probably would have anyway." Sirius sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. "There are a lot of families left in that situation, down to the last heir." He pointed at Gwydion then himself. "Potter, Black, Longbottom," he looked at Remus. "Can you think of any others?"

Remus nodded thoughtfully. "The Flint's, Warrington's, Crabbe's, and Bletchley's, they're dark families, then there's the Bradley's, and the Cornfoot's, both light families. The Lovegood's and Greengrass's only have a daughter, and the Bones family is left with only a daughter as well. Just off the top of my head, I can think of another five or six pureblood families who probably have only one child left. I'm sure there's more though. The only family I know of with more than one child are the Weasleys." He snorted as he thought about the family of redheads, the last he'd heard they had seven children, and Molly still had many years left to have more. "Voldemort is supposedly for pureblood supremacy, and yet he's done more to reduce their numbers than anything the muggle born or half-bloods have ever done. A number of pureblood and full-blood families were completely wiped out during the war with Grindlewald too."

Sirius nodded agreement. "The pureblood families tend to have fewer children to begin with, to keep the assets from being split up, and there have been more squibs born into their families than to those of mixed blood. The pureblood's aren't kind to squibs and usually throw them out as soon as they know for sure they don't have any magic. It's gotten worse over the years. We're all related to each other – our family tree's look like bramble thickets. Blacks have even married into the Potter line in the past, Gwydion, and the grandmother of the current litter of Weasley kids was a Black."

"You said the Longbottoms, Sirius," Gwydion commented. "You mean Neville is the last heir?"

"Yes, that's why it's essential he be kept safe – if Dumbledore has his way he'll never live to inherit and the name will end with him. I wish Frank and Alice were able to do something, they would set the old man on his arse for interfering with their family…." Sirius explained. He got an odd look on his face then, as if he'd had an idea.

"What is it Sirius," Remus said cautiously. He recognized that expression from their Marauder days, and it usually meant trouble for someone.

"If Frank and Alice were competent…," Sirius turned to look at the boys. "Gavin, your brother said you're good at mind healing…do you think you could help someone who was tortured with the cruciatus curse?"

"It would depend on what this cruciatus curse did to them. I'm not familiar with it…," Gavin replied cautiously. "I'd have to take a look at them."

Myrddin stirred, not really liking where the conversation was going. "I've heard of it, and from what I understand, in addition to the nerve damage caused by the curse itself, the pain drives the victim's mind deep within themselves in order to escape, and then they're trapped." He frowned at the animagus, his eyes dark with worry. "I don't know if I approve of your idea, Sirius; may I remind you the boys are only nine years old? They aren't trained as mind healers, and it's too easy for even an experienced mind healer to get caught in a patients mind and not be able to get back out."

"Grandfather," Gavin reached over his brother and put his hand on Myrddin's arm. "I would like to take a look at them and see if there is anything I could do to help…I promise I wouldn't do anything but look, and it would be up to you to decide if I should actually try to heal them." He drew his hand back with a thoughtful look on his face. "We might try nerve healing potions first though, if the wizard healers haven't used them, that is. It might help them if some of the physical damage was healed. Awel taught us a couple, and I know I saw recipe's for more powerful ones in some of your potion books?"

Myrddin thought about it for moment. "Yes, there are several potions that might help, ones I don't think the wizarding world has any longer, if they ever had them." He looked at Remus. "I'd need a number of potion ingredients, some that might be a bit hard to find. Since Sirius and I can't go out in public safely, it'll have to be you."

Gwydion looked up suddenly with an expression of concentration on his face. He held his hand up to quiet everyone . "My target stone's been triggered, Remus, the one we gave to Madam Longbottom." He looked at his grandfather for a moment. "Are you strong enough to come with us Grandfather? I think it might help."

Remus nodded his head slowly. "She knows I'm a werewolf, which is a point against us. You'll be an unknown to her, but she'll likely listen to you, if only out of curiosity. I don't know what she'd do if she saw Sirius…," he looked at his friend apologetically. "It might be better if you don't come Sirius."

Gavin cleared his throat. "What if you went first and explained about him and proved his innocence, and then I follow in a little while with Sirius?" He got up suddenly, and headed up the stairs. "I'll be right back."

"We all need to clean up a bit, before we do anything," Remus called after Gavin, looking closer at the dust smeared clothes Sirius and Gwydion were wearing. Gwydion looked at his godfather and stifled a laugh. There was a dark streak of dust across his cheek, he'd torn the collar of his robes somehow, and he had doxycide dribbled down one sleeve.

"I get first shower," Gwydion said suddenly and jumped up. Sirius grabbed at him but he danced out of the way with a laugh and took off for the bathroom.

"We need to add another bathroom, maybe two," Sirius muttered as he looked at the dirt under his fingernails. "Would you like to borrow a robe, Myrddin? It doesn't look like I'll get a chance at the bathroom for awhile, so we might as well get you something so you can change." He looked at Remus's worn robe. "You too wolf. You'll hardly impress her with what you're wearing."

* * *

"Well, I tapped the stone, Neville," Augusta Longbottom stated, straightening up and taking several steps backwards, away from the small stone. She'd placed it in the center of the family crest set into the marble tiles of the front foyer of the family manor. "Now we wait." She looked down at her grandson and sighed sadly. He was nothing like his father; quiet, almost timid, a little shorter than normal for his age and a little bit heavier than he should be, and, she thought, just barely stronger than a squib magically. "Go to your room until I call you," she instructed firmly. "Lock your door and keep your emergency portkey close to you. Use it if something goes wrong, and tell your Uncle Algie to send help."

She called one of the house elves to watch the stone after a few minutes, when it was evident her mystery guests were not going to arrive immediately, and the small creature took a position crouching nervously beside one of the tables holding an ornate flower arrangement.

A half hour later, the house elf jumped up with a shriek of surprise as two men, and a boy who appeared to be the same age as her young master, appeared suddenly out of a cloud of mist. "Missy is sorry for making the noise," she whispered apologetically as she bowed so low her nose nearly touched the floor. "Masters is to please be coming with me, I's will take you to the Mistress now."

A short walk down a wide hallway brought them to what appeared to be a formal drawing room. Two antique settee's were flanked by wingback chairs covered in a maroon plush, forming a three sided square facing a white marble fireplace holding the embers of a fire. Delicate tables were set between the chairs; numerous family portraits stirred curiously and peered down at the guests as they entered.

Remus took the initiative and greeted the matron as she rose to her feet, taking her hand and brushing a light kiss across the back of it as he bowed. "Madam Longbottom, thank you for agreeing to speak with us. I would like to introduce you to Myrddin Rhys ab Emrys, Lord of Oakwood, and his grandson, Gwydion Aneirin Crochenydd ab Emrys."

Myrddin and Gwydion bowed gracefully to the older woman, both their eyes bright with curiosity.

"Myrddin, Gwydion, I would like to introduce you to Madam Augusta Eglantine Longbottom, current Regent of the Ancient and Honorable House of Longbottom." Remus bowed to Augusta again.

"Sit, all of you," Augusta ordered curtly, taking her seat again and adjusting the folds of her green robes. She called Missy in and ordered tea from the nervous house elf. "Now," she said, not waiting until the pleasantries of tea were out of the way to get to the point, "I want an explanation, Remus. What makes you think I would give my grandson to you? Why shouldn't I call the auror's about this?"

"As I said at St. Mungo's, Dumbledore is determined to get control of Neville. As you no doubt know, there was a vote in the Wizengamot yesterday, and Dumbledore only lacks three votes to pass his bill. The minute he does, the auror's will be knocking on your door and it's unlikely you'll ever see Neville again," Remus stated somberly. "I heard he released the first part of the prophecy, in order to explain why he wanted Neville."

Madam Longbottom nodded slowly. She had been there, and had voted against the bill, but it looked like the old man was gaining support, especially since the Daily Prophet had reported several recent attacks by 'wizards in black cloaks and masks.' People were starting to get frightened as they remembered what had happened before Voldemort had disappeared. If they thought the Death Eaters were back, they'd likely panic. "That is true," she admitted. "The question is, why should I even consider giving Neville to _you_?"

"Before I explain further, Remus has something he needs to speak about." Myrddin fingered Gavin's target stone in his pocket as he nodded at the wizard to proceed. He would trigger it as soon as they were sure it was safe to do so, and Gavin would _drift_ in with Sirius.

Remus cleared his throat nervously then took his wand out. Augusta tensed slightly, not sure what he intended to do.

"I, Remus John Lupin swear on my life and magic that what I am about to tell you is the truth, verified by magical oath from the person this involves." His wand glowed, sealing the oath. "I ask that you hear me out, and don't react until you know the full truth."

Augusta nodded cautiously. The oath Remus had sworn prevented him from knowingly telling a lie, so she was willing to wait to pass judgment.

"I know where Sirius Black is. I've spoken with him and I am satisfied that he is completely innocent of what he was accused of doing. James was like a brother to him, and he is Harry's godfather. He did NOT betray the Potters, and he was NOT the one who blew up the street and killed the muggles. Peter Pettigrew did. He is still alive, and he was the Potter's Secret Keeper, they switched at the last moment and didn't tell anyone. Sirius was sent to Azkaban without a trial, and had no chance to defend himself." Remus waited for a moment for the look of shock on her face to ease, and then lifted his wand. "Lumos," he said quietly, smiling as his wand lit up with a soft glow, proving that he had told the truth and still retained his magic.

"I'd like to have Sirius here for this discussion," Myrddin said quietly, holding up the rune stone. "Do I have your permission to bring him here?"

Augusta nodded slowly, watching as he handed the stone to his grandson. Gwydion stood and moved to a clear area of the floor and set the small stone, similar to the one she'd set in the foyer, down on the Aubusson rug. He reached out and tapped it with his finger, then moved quickly back.

Almost immediately, a mist appeared and solidified into a gaunt faced man with shadowed blue eyes and black hair, with a child nearly identical to Gwydion holding onto his arm.

Remus stood once more. "Madam Longbottom, I would like to introduce to you Sirius Orion Black, Lord of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, and Gavin Deoladwyth ab Emrys, Gwydion's twin." He turned to Sirius and Gavin and introduced Madam Longbottom.

"I am pleased to meet you again Sirius, I never did believe you'd done what they accused you of doing." Augusta waited a moment until the newcomers were seated. "Having you involved complicates this whole situation, though. Why do you want Neville?"

"We can keep Neville safe, and provide training for him unlike any he could receive anywhere else," Myrddin explained softly. "We don't want Dumbledore to use him."

"I can afford to hire tutor's, he won't lack for training if he stays with me," she retorted with a raised eyebrow. "And he'd be safe if he stayed behind the manor's wards. What could you teach him that they couldn't?"

Remus looked at Myrddin and nodded slightly. They had hoped to hold off on revealing their "elfyness" as Sirius put it, but it appeared Madam Longbottom had already decided she wasn't interested in letting her grandson out of her sight, even if it meant living trapped in the manor like prisoners to do it.

Myrddin looked down at Gwydion and Gavin. "_Should we show her or try to convince her without revealing what we are_? _This affects you as much as it does me, so its your choice_."

Gwydion looked over at the grey haired woman and studied her for a moment, noting the intense look she was giving them both. He tried to gauge what she was thinking, but her expression was difficult to read and she seemed to have solid occlumency shields. It would take a direct legilimency probe to read her, and she was sure to detect it. "_We tell her, I don't think she is going to be convinced any other way." _Gavin nodded his agreement.

"_Dirymuswyn_" Myrddin gestured with his hand, passing it quickly over Gwydion's head, then Gavin's and his own. Gwydion and Gavin turned back to face Augusta and she gasped in surprise. The boy's braided hair clearly revealed their pointed ears, as did Myrddin's loosely tied ponytail. All three of them had runes on their temples and part way down their high cheekbones. They were clearly _not _human.

"What, who are you…," she asked, rising to stand in front of Gwydion and motioning for him to stand. She reached out to stroke her finger across his ear, and then cupped his chin, turning his face to the side to look at the runes. "Explain," she said finally, retaking her seat.

"We are elves, madam," Myrddin explained, leaning forward quickly to catch the tea tray Missy had brought as she dropped it in shock at seeing their true appearances. "True Elves, in no way related to the poor creatures you call House Elves. My father was human, mostly. A powerful wizard who was allowed to accompany the elven clans when they withdrew from the human world."

"So," Augusta said finally. "Which one of you is Harry Potter," she asked, looking searchingly at the two boys. "And how did this occur?" She gestured to show she meant the fact that there were two of them.

"I was born Harry Potter," Gwydion answered quietly. "I changed my name after I was magically adopted, although I still have Potter as part of my name. _Crochenydd_ means Potter."

"So, you've been hidden all these years? Where?" The Longbottom matron frowned, feeling that they were hiding something from her. She vowed she'd get to the bottom of it though, before she agreed to anything. "Why haven't you come back before this?" She snorted, amused by her own question. "No, never mind. I know why you didn't come back... Dumbledore." Everyone nodded agreement.

The discussion went on for nearly two hours. Augusta eventually agreed that it would be safest for Neville to join Gavin and Gwydion in training, but she wasn't pleased by the thought of not seeing him for at least a couple years. Myrddin brought up the possibility of using elven potions to help Frank and Alice. More tea was poured and the discussion began again, to the boy's dismay.

Finally, Gwydion and Gavin couldn't sit still any longer. They'd each had two cups of tea, in addition to what they'd had to drink before they left Grimmauld Place. They were bored by all the talk, and in dire need of the loo.

"Excuse me, Madam Longbottom," Gavin interrupted hesitantly. "May we please use the…," he stopped, wanting to be polite, but not sure of the word to use. "Um…the bathroom?"

"Of course, young man," Augusta said with a tight lipped smile. She'd warmed considerably to her guests, the two boys especially, and was content with her decision to let Neville go with them. They still needed to work out the details, and she knew the boys were bored and their presence was no longer needed. "Missy?" The awestruck house elf popped in, nearly prostrating itself in front of the twins. "Would you please show the young gentlemen to the guest bathroom? When they are done, show them the Library, they may wait for us there," she said.

The boys looked at Myrddin for permission, then bowed politely and followed the house elf.

Several minutes later, their business done, the boys stepped out of the bathroom and looked both ways down the hallway for the house elf who was supposed to guide them. They both turned quickly when they heard a thump and the sound of something falling to the floor from a short way down the hall. Curious, they moved that direction.

"He…He…Hello?" Neville stuttered nervously, gazing up at the two elflings in awe from his awkward position on the floor beside a small table. He had apparently run into it and knocked a vase over as he tried to hide from them, as evidenced by the large splash of water down the front of his dark blue robes and the rather crushed flowers now resting in a puddle of water on the floor beside a large urn. "Who, who are you?" He reached hesitantly for the hand Gavin held out to him and stood with that help, trying in vain to brush the water stain off his crumpled robes.

"I'm Gavin ab Emrys, and this is my brother Gwydion," Gavin introduced himself, pulling Neville's eyes off their ears and tattoo's. The other boy bowed awkwardly.

"I'm p…pleased to m…meet you," Neville replied. "I'm Neville, Neville Longbottom." Both elves bowed politely to the puzzled boy.

"Would you like me to fix that for you?" Gwydion offered gently, as if he were dealing with a shy fawn or a child much younger than the boy appeared to be.

"Ye…yes, thank you," Neville nodded his head, and watched with wide eyes as Gwydion waved his hand at Neville's robe. "_Sychu_."

"H…How did you d…do that?" Neville looked down at his now clean and dry robe, running his hand down it in amazement. "You don't have a wand, was that wandless?" He managed, without stuttering. "Are you…elves?"

Gwydion glanced down the hallway towards the drawing room where the adults were still negotiating the terms for Neville's change of custody. "Can we go to the Library and talk? There's a lot you don't know, and I think you deserve an explanation."

* * *

AN- I hope you enjoyed this chapter. A lot of things happened this time, and events are going to start moving now that all (but one) of the major players have been introduced.

_sychu_ (dry up/wipe dry)  
_amddiffyn_ (defend/protect)


	23. Run Rabbit, Run

PHOENIX and DRAGON: Through the World Gate

Chapter 22

* * *

Gwydion glanced down the hallway towards the drawing room where the adults were still negotiating the terms for Neville's change of custody. "Can we go to the Library and talk? There's a lot you don't know, and I think you deserve an explanation."

"What's going on?" Neville asked as he led the twins down the hallway and opened one side of a large double door. "We can talk here."

The twins followed Neville into the Library, their jaws dropping in awe as they saw the vast collection of books. It was a large room, at least thirty feet long, by probably twenty feet wide. Ornate walnut bookcases covered all but two walls of the large room, reaching up to the high ceiling, and tall ladders with wheels on the bottom hung on polished brass rails, allowing access to the upper most shelves. There was a black marble fireplace with more book cases on each side on the wall to the right, and a tall window at the end of the room opposite the door, luxurious blue velvet draperies framing a view of a darkened garden, white flowers glowing under the light of the nearly full moon. Several tables with chairs were set down the center of the room.

"Wow," Gavin whispered, "This is a lot bigger than Sirius's library." He wandered over to the nearest bookcase and ran his fingers across the books in wonder. "It's a lot cleaner too."

"Those can wait, Gavin," Gwydion reminded quietly. He sighed when his brother just nodded and pulled a book out to look at. "Now, Gavin," he frowned as his twin ignored him, then walked over and took his brothers elbow, guiding him to where a group of wingback chairs sat around a low table facing the fireplace and pushing him into one. "Sit."

"Uhm huh," Gavin mumbled, still flipping through the book as he dropped onto the chair.

"Please excuse my brother, he really likes books," Gwydion said apologetically as he gently took the book from his brother's hands and set it on the table. "We've got a lot to explain to you, and some of it might be difficult for you to accept." Gwydion began his story, helped occasionally by Gavin.

"But I don't understand," Neville said quite awhile later, frowning as he picked at a loose thread on his house robe. "Why would you want m…m…me to stay with you," he stuttered finally, a wondering expression on his face. "I'm n…n..nothing special…and…you're Harry Potter!"

"Albus Dumbledore wants to control you, because of a prophecy. Just like he tried to control me," Gwydion glanced at Gavin, asking silently if he should tell the boy how Dumbledore wanted to use him. "It supposedly said that either you or I would have the power to defeat Voldemort."

Neville flinched when the elfling said the name of the dreaded Dark Lord. "As far as the wizarding world knows, Harry Potter is gone, probably dead, and you're the only other person the prophecy could apply to, so Dumbledore wants to control you, so he can have more power."

Gavin nodded at his brother's explanation. "He's already after the Potter vaults… and if something were to happen to your grandmother, since your parents aren't competent to take charge of everything, as your guardian he would have control of the Longbottom vaults as well."

"But I'm barely a wizard! How can he think I'll be able to kill Vo…Vol…He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!" Neville jumped from his chair and started pacing back and forth mumbling to himself. "I'm almost a squib! How am I supposed to kill the strongest Dark Lord in hundreds of years!" Gavin and Gwydion exchanged glances and then stood, catching the distraught boy by the arms and pulling him into a hug.

"Neville…we don't know if the prophecy is true, since we haven't heard it, but Dumbledore and Voldemort believe it is," Gavin paused as Neville jerked in fear and gasped at the Dark Lord's name. "Get over it! It's just a name!" He waited until Neville relaxed and then continued, "We're going to make sure you're trained and can stay out of Dumbledore's control."

All three boys turned towards the door as it opened, allowing Sirius to step through. "Come on back to the parlor, we've come up with a plan."

* * *

"Neville! Come away from there," Augusta commanded impatiently, pulling her grandson reluctantly away from the display of racing brooms in the front window of Quality Quiddich Supply. "We have an appointment with Madam Malkin, and I don't wish to be late for the fitting." She turned and strode briskly towards the robe shop, the stuffed vulture on her hat nodding importantly with each step.

Sudden screams erupted behind her and she spun, gasping as she saw a tall man in a long black cloak holding a struggling Neville against his chest, one hand covering the boy's mouth. A hood hid the man's face, the dark shadow adding to his sinister appearance.

"No! Let him go!" She shouted, struggling to pull her wand out of her large red purse. "Let him go I said, you ruffian!" A rotund wizard in a green cloak attempted to draw his wand, and a second black cloaked man stepped forward from out of an alcove.

"Stupify!" A red spell shot out, dropping the portly wizard to the ground and causing chaos in the crowded alley as people screamed and tried to escape.

"Stupify!" Augusta yelled as she finally grasped her wand, striking the second attacker in the side, sending him to the ground a few feet from the man holding a frantically struggling Neville. She stepped closer and immediately cast another curse at her grandson's attacker. "Stupify!"

Her spell missed, hitting a frightened bystander and sending her into a bin of discount quills set near the door of the stationery store, spilling them across the cobblestones. Screams rang out as people tried to dodge the flying curses.

Augusta got a chance to cast again as the crowd momentarily parted, allowing her to aim at the man she had stupified previously. "Incarcerous!"

"Protego!" A third black cloaked man was revealed as he moved from hiding and cast a quick shield to protect the downed man from the binding spell. Another stupify spell flew from his wand, arching down the alley to strike an auror approaching from the direction of the apothecary in the chest, stunning him as he struggled to get through the panicking crowd.

"Ennervate!" The second man was back on his feet, raising his wand to return to the fight after the man holding Neville revived him. "Confringo!" A display of books in front of Flourish and Blott's exploded, sending bits of paper and shredded books across the screaming crowd. Augusta dodged into the doorway of the bookstore and cast again.

"Stupify!" Augusta shouted frantically, her wand pointed at the man holding Neville. The black cloaked man twisted in an attempt to dodge, and Neville nearly pulled loose, stopped at the last moment by the stunner his abductor quickly cast, hitting her grandson on the back. The hooded man grabbed the boy and threw him over his shoulder.

"Neville!" she shouted desperately, "Stupify! Stupify!" But only the second spell even came close to one of the attackers, stunning two shoppers as they fled instead. A return spell from one of the men jerked her wand out of her hands, sending it flying away from her. The kidnappers stepped closer together and reached out to touch the arm of the man holding Neville.

"Nooooo!" Augusta collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down her face as she saw her grandson about to disappear. "Neville…."

"Stupify!" One of the men turned and cast a final spell, and everything went dark for the Longbottom matron.

"Activate!" Then all three men were gone as the portkey took effect, taking a stunned Neville with them.

* * *

"That went well," Remus stated wearily, pulling the black cloak off and draping it over his arm as he watched Sirius settle an unconscious Neville onto the bed in one of the guest rooms on the second floor of number 12 Grimauld Place. "Now we can add kidnapping to your charge of escaping from prison."

Sirius shrugged, and then rubbed his bruised shoulder. "What's the worst they can do to me…send me back?"

Myrddin sighed as he came into the bedroom and set a vial of mild painkiller on the nightstand. "I would think them more likely to have you instantly kissed, Sirius." He removed Neville's twisted cloak, took the boy's shoes off, and laid a light blanket across him to guard against the chill in the room. "We'd be the ones thrown into a cell in Azkaban, if we weren't kissed right alongside you."

"Yes, your probably right," Sirius admitted reluctantly as he walked over to the fireplace and cast a quick incendio to light it. "But they'd have to prove it was us first, and it would be rather difficult since nobody could see us to identify us, and we all used untraceable wands."

Reminded, Myrddin and Remus handed their borrowed wands back to Sirius and he slid them into his cloak along with the one he'd been using, intending to return the extra wands to the cabinet he'd found them in later.

"Should we wake him up, or just let him sleep it off?" Remus pulled his real wand out and held it up questioningly.

"Wake him up," Gavin answered as he entered the room carrying a tray with several cups, and pot of tea. Gwydion followed with a plate of warm ginger biscuits. "We'll stay with him and explain everything." Gavin gestured for the three men to leave as he set the tray on the bedside table. "He doesn't know you, so he won't be as frightened if it's just us here when he wakes up."

Remus ushered the others out, then shot a quiet 'ennervate' at the unconscious boy as he stepped out, closing the door just as Neville started to stir.

"Hey, Neville," Gavin said quietly, watching as Neville opened his eyes groggily and looked around the room. "How do you feel? Do you hurt anywhere?"

"Wh…where am I," the brown haired boy stuttered, fear and confusion on his face as he shakily sat up with Gwydion's help. "Wh…what happened?"

"You're at Sirius's house," Gavin explained soothingly as he added several spoons of sugar to a cup of tea then held it out to Neville. "Our plan worked almost perfectly."

"What do you mean?" Neville asked as he automatically reached out and took the cup, taking a sip as he tried to understand what had happened. "You kidnapped me? Is my Gran alright?"

Gwydion smiled reassuringly as he handed Neville a biscuit to go with the tea. "Yes, Sirius grabbed you, and Remus and Grandfather stupified a couple people and blew stuff up to cause a panic and make it look real. You weren't supposed to get stunned, but your grandmother is quite ferocious and reacted faster than we had expected, and you struggled pretty hard too so Sirius had to stun you to keep you from getting away."

"Impressive fight you put up too," Gavin commented with a smile. "Sirius has a nice set of your teeth prints in his hand and he was limping from where you kicked him." Neville blushed at the praise and raised his cup to hide his reddened cheeks.

"I stayed for a few minutes to make sure your Gran was alright," Gwydion reassured Neville with a grin as he remembered the aftermath of the abduction. "The auror's had already woke her up and were already speaking with her when I left Diagon Alley; she was giving them a really hard time about the lack of security and their incompetence. It was funny watching them get scolded for not arriving faster."

"She was quite upset with them," Gavin explained around a mouthful of biscuit, "and I'm sure she will be angry with us later, since we'd told her we would take you a couple hours from now, when you were on your way out of the alley, instead of while you were going in. I know it wasn't what we'd planned to do, but we heard that Dumbledore had just called for another vote in the Wizengamot and we were afraid the Prophecy Act would pass this time, since Madam Longbottom wouldn't be there to fight it. We had to hurry and get you before he could."

"Besides," Gwydion grinned mischievously at Neville, "we thought both of you would react more naturally if you didn't expect it."

Neville nodded hesitantly in agreement. "Gran will be worried though…," he said with a frown.

"We've already sent our house elf with a message letting her know the plan worked. He'll make sure she knows you weren't harmed, and he'll pick up your trunk," Gwydion assured him as he held the plate of ginger biscuits out, urging Neville to take another one. "The sugar will help you if you've got a headache from being stunned, and I've got a potion if it doesn't."

A soft knock on the door caught their attention, and Gavin raised his eyebrow at Neville when he looked at it with wide eyes. "It's your room," he said quietly when Neville didn't respond. "Should I answer the door?"

"Ye…yes," Neville replied finally, squaring his shoulders and setting his cup down on the tray with a click. "Yes, please answer the door," he said firmly. "Tell them to come in." Today was the start of his new life and he was determined to face his fears for once instead of hiding behind his grandmother's skirts.

* * *

The Daily Prophet sold out all of its issues for the next several days.

LONGBOTTOM SCION ABDUCTED FROM DIAGON ALLEY!

Yesterday, Neville Longbottom, heir to the Longbottom Lordship, was torn from the very arms of his distinguished grandmother, Wizengamot member Augusta Longbottom, in a daring daylight attack in the middle of Diagon Alley. Witnesses said that three cloaked men shot numerous dark curses at bystanders before apparently portkeying away with the young boy.

Brody Boggsworth, age 67, was stunned and sustained minor injuries. "I tried to fight them off to save the poor boy, but they were too much for me," he is quoted as saying. Eldina Tackle, age 45, was stunned and thrown into a display of quills belonging to Handle's Stationery and Writing Supplies. The quills were a total loss. Several others were also injured but declined comment.

The Auror's apparently have no clue as to who perpetrated this cowardly attack, but leading Ministry officials have sworn to investigate.

Longbottom Matron calls for more effort in search (See page 2)

Sirius Black spotted in Birmingham! (See page 2)

Tragic story of Frank and Alice Longbottom (See page 3)

Auror numbers decrease in peacetime (See page 4)

* * *

PROPHECY CHILD STILL MISSING!

Recent news from the Ministry of Magic suggests that young Neville Longbottom may be the subject of a prophecy, as witness the recent attempts by the Wizengamot to pass the Tutela Pro Thema Oraculum, or Prophecy Protection Act, which would have removed him from the custody of his family in order to protect him, attempts lead by Albus Dumbledore, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot.

Is Neville Longbottom the Prophecy Child, as Albus Dumbledore now claims? What of Harry Potter, previously renowned as the Boy-Who-Lived, also missing from his abusive muggle relatives home and presumed dead, a home Albus Dumbledore placed him in? Reliable sources tell us that Potter also fulfilled the terms of the partial prophecy Dumbledore has revealed.

No clues in Longbottom abduction, anxious Grandmother tearfully pleads for his release (See page 2)

Sirius Black spotted in Bristol (See page 2)

Harry Potter presumed dead, search officially ends (See page 3)

Mystery Man still missing from St. Mungo's (See page 4)

* * *

WIZENGAMOT CALLS FOR FULL PROPHECY TO BE REVEALED!

The Wizengamot met today in a special session to pressure Albus Dumbledore to reveal the full prophecy pertaining to the fates of the heirs of two of the Wizarding worlds most distinguished families. Harry Potter, heir and last member of the most Ancient and Noble Potter family, known to all as The-Boy-Who-Lived, and Neville Longbottom, the last remaining heir of the Longbottom dynasty, are suspected to be the subjects of this prophecy, along with He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named.

Experts at the Ministry of Magic have been consulted as to the contents of this mysterious prophecy, but no answers were forthcoming. Doesn't the Wizarding world deserve to know? What are they hiding?

Search for Neville Longbottom continues (See page 2)

Sirius Black sighting in Manchester pub revealed to be hoax, search continues for fugitive (See page 2)

Harry Potter's tragic life (See page 3)

Wizengamot votes to change banking rules, Goblins claim treaty violation – threaten lockdown (See page 4)


End file.
